Things Are Not Always As They Seem
by musiclover67
Summary: Four years have passed since Fire Lord Ozai was defeated. When the celebration of the four year anniversary brings the Gaang back together, what will come of the group? What secrets will be revealed? The Gaang will learn that sometimes, things are not always as they seem.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So I have been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender since I was a little kid, and recently became reunited with the series. Being the person that I am, I decided I MUST write a fanfiction, of course changing the character match-ups a bit.**

 **This is a Zutara story, and I hope to not make it as mushy and quick as some other fanfictions I have read in the past. This story is how I think their relationship would've come about, and I hope you enjoy! Rated M for later chapters and language!**

Katara watched the eggs cook with unfocused eyes, listened to the sizzle breaking the silence of the early morning. It was unlike her to be up so early; waterbenders usually drew strength from the moon, not the sun. She had unfortunately, not had the best sleeping patterns the last few months.

Being outside, with the subtle cold wind blowing through her hair, she was soothed. After spending a month in the Fire Nation, they had left to visit the neighboring Nations. They arrived at each city, announcing the defeat of Ozai, and the promise of peace. Aang had been so proud, his eyes lit up each time he delivered the news. His destiny had been fulfilled, and the legend of the Avatar lived on. Once they had traveled the entire map, they returned back to the Southern Water Tribe to begin living their lives; to build a relationship and family together.

She stood over the small fire pit, the raised metal bars surrounding it holding the skillet in place while she cooked. Pushing the eggs around with a wooden spoon, Katara knew it was only a matter of time before everyone smelled the eggs, especially Sokka. Four years had passed and he still woke up to her cooking breakfast like they were kids.

Four years had passed. Four years since the war had ended, and the nations had formed an alliance. Four years since her and Aang had officially gotten together. Four years since she had seen anyone in the fire nation, including Zuko-

"Hey."

Aang's soft voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned around to see him smiling at her. His youth had almost completely left his face, with a square jaw-line and the roundness of his eyes looking less innocent. He had grown over a foot easily, and now looked down at her as he walked closer.

"Hey," she replied, giving him a small smile before returning her eyes back to the task at hand.

She felt him walk behind her, and his lips hit the back of her neck before his arms slipped around her waist. Her breath hitched slightly as he trailed kisses down the side of her neck.

"You're so pretty when you're cooking," he whispered in her ear. She tried to not take that as a sexist comment as he continued his light kisses to her shoulder.

She tried to focus on the kisses, the feel of his lips on her too cold skin. She tried to focus on Aang the man she loved, the way his hands felt on her hips. It seemed the more she focused, the less good it felt-

"Eggs!" Sokka exclaimed, popping his head excitedly out of his tent. His hair was let loose of the normal wolf tail style, falling in front of his face. "Katara, you're the best! Where did you get these?!"

He climbed out of the tent, pulling a hooded sweater over his head as he went. He had grown at least 6 inches in the past four years, and his shoulders were significantly broader. Suki poked her head out of the tent as well, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Sokka, must you be so obnoxiously loud?" she asked with a sign, tying her hair out of her face.

"What?" He threw his hands up in the air with raised eyebrows. "She made eggs! You don't come across these often in the South Pole."

"I got them when Aang and I made that visit to the small Earth Kingdom town," Katara answered Sokka's question, spooning the now scrambled eggs onto a plate. "They stay good for a month as long as you keep them cold."

"We figured you'd enjoy them!" Aang said happily, biting into a small apple.

"Oh Aang I completely forgot to make you something," Katara exclaimed, running a hand through her hair. "I can cut an apple up if you want, put some butter and cinnamon on it-"

"Yesh prease!" Sokka's mouth was stuffed with food, and he shot a toothy smile at Katara.

Katara blanched, and Aang had a slightly disgusted look on his face before turning back to her.

"That's ok, Katara, really I'm fine."

Suki settled down into the snow with the rest of them, her legs crossed.

"Hungry?" Sokka asked, swallowing another mouthful of food.

"I should probably eat something," Suki mumbled. "Don't talk with your mouth full Sokka, that's disgusting."

Katara watched Sokka's cheeks turn pink, and giggled. This was why she liked Suki; always keeping Sokka in line. Aang took another bite of his apple, and Momo came to sit on his shoulder, trying to sneak a taste. Katara spooned out some eggs into a bowl for Suki, handing them to the warrior with a smile. Suki smiled half-heartedly back before taking the bowl. Katara noticed Suki's face looked quite pale.

"Are you ok?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "You don't look so good."

"I think I just need to eat something," Suki answered.

Sokka paused from eating to look at her, his eyebrows raised. Suki ignored him, taking a tentative bite of her breakfast. She swallowed, then stared at her bowl for a long moment.

"I'm sorry guys, I-"

She bolted behind a tent, but the distinct sound of her retching could be heard by all of them. They all exchanged a shocked look, and Sokka stood up.

"Don't worry Katara, I still like you're cooking," he said with a grin, then turned to check on Suki.

* * *

"Mai, I don't know what you want me to do!" Zuko exclaimed, fists clenched to his sides as he glared at his girlfriend.

"Oh I don't know Zuko, maybe you could make some time for me?" her tone was dripping with sarcasm, arms crossed over her chest as she glared right back.

"I am the Fire Lord, Mai; I barely have time to breathe," Zuko lowered his voice only slightly, trying to keep calm. "I know you need me to spend more time with you, it is just hard with all of these meetings-"

"Yeah, yeah Zuko, you and your meetings," Mai rolled her eyes, and waved her hand at him. "I've heard all this before."

"Well then why won't you retain it?!" Zuko snapped, rage pulsing through his veins. This woman was so infuriating.

"Because you would think, after all these years, you would learn to balance!" Mai shot back.

She turned on her heel, heading for the door leading out of his bedroom.

"I guess just let me know when you have time for me again."

She wrenched the door open, giving him a sad look over her shoulder before walking out.

"Mai, it's not like that! I-"

He was cut short by the slamming of the door behind her.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, running both hands through his shaggy hair.

Why didn't she understand? Couldn't she see that he was trying his best here? He laid face up on his bed, staring at the red canopy above. She had always been a complainer; always wanted to be entertained or helped. When she was fun and loving, he always had a blast with her. Lately however, she had been more negative than positive-

"Fire Lord Zuko?"

There was a sharp tapping on his door, and with a sigh he sat up.

"Come in."

His royal servant, Shin, was bowing before him.

"I do not mean to disturb you sir, but the councilmen are very anxious to get the meeting started. They sent me to see how much longer it would be."

"Tell them I will be there in just a moment," Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed with the lack of patience in the councilmen. "And tell the other servants to have my robes ready."

With a closing bow, Shin exited the room with a promise to fulfill his wishes. With a deep breath, Zuko pulled his hair into a topknot before exiting his room.

"Zuko!" Uncle Iroh threw his arms open in a joyful welcome, a wide smile on his face.

"Uncle?" Zuko was confused, but couldn't help but grin back at his uncle. "What are you doing here?"

The meeting room was filled with councilmen, all looking rather annoyed at the family reunion, though none of them would dare speak a word. They were seated around a large map of the world, wearing traditional Fire Nation red and black robes. The throne meant for Zuko sat high on a platform, a large and comfortable red chair under a small wooden gazebo. Iroh had been sitting amongst the councilmen, but jumped quickly out of his chair when he saw his nephew enter the room.

"I came in town for the meeting," Iroh replied, taking his nephew in for a hug. "One does not want to miss such an exciting celebration."

"Celebration?" Zuko asked, pulling gently out of Iroh's hug to look at the men surrounding the table.

"For the Avatar, of course!" Iroh answered Zuko's questioning gaze as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It is the four year anniversary of the day the Nation's became one, my nephew!"

Of course, how could Zuko have forgotten? Every year, a celebration was held in honor of the Avatar and the end of the Hundred-year war. Each nation took a turn hosting the event, in order to show the alliance of all. The festival was always spectacular, filled with parades, food, and the joining of all the nations throughout the world. Cultural differences were cherished and shared, and people danced together in harmony. Zuko had heard all of this from others, for he had never actually been to the event himself.

"Right," Zuko scratched the back of his neck, an embarrassed look on his face. "Uncle, I don't think I will be able to make it. With everything going on here, I think it's best if I just skip it for-"

"Nonsense, Zuko!" Iroh put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You have not been to any of the festivals, and it is important you are a part of the fun just as much as the politics. A flower does not bloom from just water Zuko, it needs sun as well to stay alive."

Zuko couldn't deny he had missed his Uncle's metaphors. He gave him a small smile before backing away.

"Uncle, I'd really rather not-"

Zuko did not want to explain why he wouldn't go, _couldn't_ go to these festivals. It all sounded fun, and he could do for some relaxation, but he didn't know if he could face it. Face seeing his friends again after all these years. Face their questions as to why they had not seen him in so long. Aang's concern if he needed any help and Sokka's jokes about him being too good for them now that he was the Fire Lord. Katara's sad eyes as she told him how much she missed him…

"Fire Lord Zuko, I am afraid that is not an option this year," councilman Yan spoke up, a warm smile on his face. "You see, it is the Fire Nation's turn to host the celebrations."

Zuko's eyes widened and he swallowed, staring into the expectant faces of the councilmen.

* * *

Azula paced back and forth in her cell, her long hair falling into her face. She eagerly awaited for her messenger to return, an evil glint her eye that had been gone for so long now. She had been through so much these past few years, it was about time things started to go her way again.

"Princess Azula?"

A tentative whisper came from the shadows, and she sped quickly to the door of the cell, her hands on the bars in the small window.

"Chang!" she hissed, a scowl on her face. "It took you long enough. What have you got? What did they say?"

Chang smiled wickedly, moving closer to the window.

"They're in."

 **A/N: Well, there you have it! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry it has taken me this long to update the second chapter. I decided the only way to make sure this story would be completed is by making sure I had an outline to the very end. So this last week or so, I wrote a complete detailed outline for myself. Now all that's left is writing the chapters.**

 **This story starts out a tad slow, because I need you guys to know some information before I jump into it. Also, I will be writing this story in a sort-of flashback format. There are some things in Zuko and Katara's past that will explain what is going on now in this story. So I'm going to give the information to you in flashbacks, which will be in italics. I will try to make it as smooth as possible, but if it gets confusing, don't hesitate to let me know!**

 **Anyway! On with the story!**

 **Chapter 2**

Zuko sat up against a tree, one leg propped up with his knee bent, while the other leg lay flat out. He had a piece of flat bread in hand, breaking off pieces and throwing them into the water in front of him. This was peaceful for him; no one to talk to him or ask him questions. No one worried about the Nation or throwing complicated financial strategies at him.

No one pushing him to get married.

Zuko clenched his fist over the remainder of bread in his hand, burning it to charred bits. The black flaky pieces flew out of his hand and he closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the tree stump.

Every meeting- well almost every meeting- Councilmen Han would bring up the importance of marriage. How it was crucial that the Fire Lord find a Fire Lady, and together they would rule the nation. It was not a one-man job, and a woman figure was important for balance. The conversation would shift to family, and children that would be heirs to the throne.

Zuko understood the importance. Did they think he didn't? He knew they all looked at Mai in a glorious light. She was the daughter of a political figure after all. She knew how to behave, knew how to take her emotions out of political decisions and had stuck with Zuko for all these years. She was perfect for the job, a perfect Fire Nation leader.

He sighed, opening his eyes and watching the turtle ducks splash happily in the water. He stared at his reflection in the clear-blue pond, thinking about Mai. He knew she would make a great Fire Lady, he couldn't deny that. He wasn't worried about her becoming the Fire Lady; he was worried about her becoming his wife. She was beautiful, and when they were kids, she was who he imagined himself with when he grew up. She was stealthy, independent, smart and could make him laugh.

The problem was, she lacked so much. She lacked spirit. She had no emotions, kept them tightly locked, and when she did show emotion it was boiled over rage. When they fought, she left before they could talk about it. They hadn't quit fighting in months. She seemed even more distant than usual with him, showing little affection and visiting him less and less during the day.

He knew it was his fault, for he had been distant with her too. He just wasn't sure if Mai was who he wanted; someone he could spend the rest of life with. He needed someone to keep him on his toes, someone who posed a challenge and could equally make him crazy and laugh at the same time. Someone with passion.

Someone like Katara.

Zuko ran both his hands through his hair with a frustrated sigh. Why was he _still_ thinking about her? It had been _years_ since they had seen each other! She was with Aang, and she would stay with Aang. That was how it was supposed to be. Yet his mind wandered, bringing him back to the very first time he had seen Katara's "passion".

 _"This isn't fair! Everyone seems to trust me now," Zuko said softly, scowling at Katara. "What is it with you?"_

 _"Oh everyone trusts you now?" Katara snapped, turning around to glare at him. "I was the first one to trust you, remember? Back in Ba Sing Se."_

 _Zuko did remember. The way she looked at him when he had admitted he lost his mom too. How pretty her eyes were when she offered to heal his scar. How exotic her skin was, and how good it felt to be touched by her. He remembered how touched he had been that she would use her spirit water on him, even though this was the first time they had truly talked-_

 _"-you turned around and betrayed me, betrayed all of us!"_

 _Zuko cringed._

 _"What can I do to make it up to you?"_

 _"You really wanna know?" Katara asked, looking him straight in the eye. "Hmm, maybe you could reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know, you could bring my mother back!"_

 _Zuko's heart pounded as she got closer to him, but the unhappy look on her face made his stomach flip. She stormed off, her shoulder slamming into his as she left._

There was rustling of the grass next to him, and he opened his eyes to see his Uncle sitting beside him in silence. His legs were crossed, and he looked tranquil as he stared into the water as well. They sat like this for a moment, neither one wanting to break the peaceful sound of the slow-moving water. When a turtle duck got mad at his brother and began quacking in protest, it seemed to bring them both back to the present.

"Tell me, Zuko, what's on your mind?" Uncle Iroh turned to him with kind eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Everyone's pushing me to get married," Zuko grumbled, pulling random bits of grass from the ground and not meeting his Uncle's gaze. "They don't understand what kind of pressure that puts on me! I'm only 20 years old!"

The grass he was holding had flames developing on the blades and he chucked them harshly into the water.

"Zuko, you have been of age for two years now. It is the responsibility of the Fire Lord to fulfill his duties for his Nation. Councilman Han is just doing his job as your advisor."

"I know, I know!" Zuko exclaimed, jumping up to begin pacing. "I just- I don't think I'm ready for that-"

"Zuko, do you not love Mai?" Iroh raised an inquisitive eyebrow, watching the firebender pace.

"Of course I do!" Zuko snapped, halting his movements to glare at his Uncle. "Why would you say that?!"

"One does not question commitment, but celebrates it, if they are truly in love, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko stopped his pacing again, his shoulders slumping. Of course he was right; he always was. He took back his spot next to Iroh, taking a deep breath.

"I don't know what to do."

"Love is a mysterious thing," Iroh said, standing up and placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "It will come to you when you least expect it, old or new."

Zuko's eyes widened, and before he could ask his Uncle exactly what he meant by that, he was gone.

* * *

Katara walked along the icy shores, looking out at the never-ending ocean ahead. Aang and Sokka had been practicing with Sokka's boomerang, seeing how far it could go if Aang blew air at it. Suki was sleeping, so there was no one to joke around with while they watched. After a few times of watching Sokka cheer when the boomerang went farther than the last, Katara had announced she was going to go fishing.

She had lied of course, but no one seemed to notice that she hadn't even grabbed the fishing rod. They were engrossed in their task, and that was the way she preferred it. Katara needed to think.

There was something missing in her life, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She had everything she had ever wanted; reunited with her family, living in her village again, together with Aang.

There was that twist in her stomach, that unknown negative energy that came with thoughts of Aang. He had never done anything to her, had always been the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He would do anything she wanted him to, and loved her so much that his eyes lit up every time she entered the room.

Maybe that's why she felt so guilty.

 _Aang air-bended the door flap open to the tent with a twist of his hands before settling them back on Katara's hips. He was kissing her with slight desperation, pushing backwards into the tent. Katara kissed back mechanically, trying not to let her mind wander. She kept her thoughts on Aang's hands and how they were so gentle on her skin. She tried to keep her mind focused on how much she used to like that._

 _Used to._

 _"We finally got some alone time," Aang breathed, breaking the kiss and pulling his shirt over his head. "This was long overdue don't you think?"_

 _Katara tried to marvel at his toned stomach and chest; his body truly was impressive. He definitely wasn't a little boy anymore. Her hands tentatively rested on his shoulders before slowly dragging to his hip bones. She knew the planes of his body well, and she continued her movements while Aang untied her coat and robes. They pooled at her feet, and she was left in nothing but her undergarments. He took a step back and looked at her as if seeing her body for the first time._

 _"You're so pretty, Katara," he breathed, his eyes wide._

 _She blushed, fighting the urge to cover herself up a little bit. This was Aang; they had been doing this for years._

 _They went through the motions, and Katara kept herself focused on the task at hand. She tried to stay engaged, keep her hands moving as Aang kissed her from head to toe. She went through the list of the reasons she loved Aang, what had driven her so mad with love all those years ago. She focused on how handsome his face was, and how nice his muscles looked with or without clothes._

 _"Katara?"_

 _She had been focusing so hard she forgot to be outwardly engaged. Aang stopped his movements to look at her in confusion._

 _"What's wrong Aang?"_

 _His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her with a mixture of hurt and confusion._

 _"I said I love you."_

 _"Oh," Katara's face got hot as her eyes darted from his. "Sorry Aang, I love you too."_

 _He was silent, and when she realized he was not continuing, she looked back up at his face. He was just staring at her, that same pained look on his face._

 _"We can keep going if you want," Katara broke the awkward silence between them._

 _"If I want," Aang repeated, looking away with his eyes squeezed shut._

 _"Aang, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant-"_

 _Aang was climbing off of her now, trying to find his shirt off the ground._

 _"I tried to tell myself you were tired, Katara," Aang spoke softly, his back facing her as he pulled his shirt over his head._

 _"Aang, what are you talking about-"_

 _"I tried to tell myself you were just stressed from the lack of food we had, so we went to the Earth Kingdom village for more varieties of food. I tried to tell myself maybe I wasn't giving you as much attention as you needed, and that's why you weren't really giving me any either."_

 _He stood for a moment, his back still to her as he gripped his glider._

 _"But now," he looked back at her with tears in his eyes. "now, I'm not so sure anymore."_

 _With that he walked out of the tent, and before Katara could stop him she heard his glider pop open and the whoosh as he flew off._

Katara shook her head from the memory, wiping the slight moisture that had developed in the corners of her eyes. What was she doing? What was wrong with her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud screech of a hawk. She looked up, a bit startled, and saw the bird circling up above. It was unmistakably Fire Nation, with its jet black feathers and satchel around its body baring the Fire Nation emblem. Her heart skipped a beat, and she held her arm out for the bird to land. The hawk gave another screech before soaring down to rest gently on her outstretched arm. It leaned forward slightly, and after scratching it under its beak, she pulled the rolled paper out of the satchel.

 _ **Dear Aang, Katara, Suki, and Sokka,**_

 _ **It is the Fire Nation's turn to host the legendary Avatar Anniversary festival! As you know, this week marks the fourth year that the Avatar took down Fire Lord Ozai. When this was accomplished, the Nations became one and peace was brought amongst all.**_

 _ **Please join us as the special guests and stars of the festival in celebration of peace and happiness, taking place in two weeks from the date of this invitation.**_

 _ **Hoping to see you there!**_

 _ **Fire Nation**_

The hawk gave another screech before spreading its majestic wings and flying off. Katara chuckled at the formality of the letter- this was obviously not written by Zuko.

Zuko.

Her stomach tied itself in knots. Zuko would be there, would be in the Fire Nation. Did she want to go? Would she want to face him after all these years?

"Katara!"

She spun around, watching Sokka's arms flail as he ran toward her.

"Where-have you-been-?" He was out of breath as he finally caught up to her.

"I told you I was going fishing," Katara answered, her hands on her hips.

Sokka looked for the obviously missing fishing pole, and gave her a pointed glance. She blushed.

"Well, I forgot some of my supplies."

"Riiiight," Sokka looked skeptical, but didn't seem like he wanted to argue. "Anyway, we made lunch, come eat."

She followed him back to the tents, and watched Suki carrying two plates of food.

"Aww Suki!" Sokka exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and smacking a big kiss on her cheek. "You got me a plate!"

"Are you kidding?" Suki scowled, holding the plates away from Sokka. "These are for me!"

The rest of the group looked at her, mouths slightly open.

"What?" she looked away and picked up her fork. "I haven't eaten in a few days, I'm just making up for lost time!"

"That's my girl!" Sokka gave her a light punch on the arm with a grin. "Food is the most important thing in the world!"

"Anyway guys," Katara interrupted, laughing as Suki gave him a kiss. "a Fire Nation delivery hawk came."

"Fire Nation?" Aang asked, eyebrows raised as he took a bite of his rice. "What did it say?"

"Well this year they are hosting the celebration of Fire Lord Ozai's defeat. The one they do every year. It's the Fire Nation's turn to host. They want us, and obviously Aang, to be special guests for the festival."

"Awesome!" Sokka said, eyes lit with excitement. "It'll be so great to go back and see how they've restored the Fire Nation."

"We haven't been there in so long," Suki added happily.

"It'll certainly be a change of scenery," Aang agreed excitedly. "Let's head out tomorrow!"

Katara's stomach did an excited flip. She tried to convince herself she was just excited about the change of scenery.

 **A/N: Let me know what you guys think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok guys, double update. I couldn't help it, ever since I put this outline together, I've been spitting out chapters like nobody's business!**

 **Anyway! This is a very educational, background story chapter. I recommend watching "Zuko Alone" from Book 2 and "Southern Raiders" from Book 3, because that's entirely what this chapter is based off of. I took the moments that happened in the episode, and added my own twist on some things, a lot of which is important for the development of this story. I did not re-write the entire episode, just summarized while inserting important dialogue pieces as I saw fit. Most of this chapter is italicized, and I apologize but it is because most of it is in the past.**

 **This chapter opens up straight into the Southern Raiders episode. I hope you enjoy!**

 _When Appa landed on the coast of the communication tower, Katara jumped off so fast Zuko hardly saw her. She was ready for action, and he couldn't help but be impressed by her energy and drive. He ran hard and fast behind her. It seemed they didn't have to communicate much to get the job done. She simply created a slab of ice for them to get across the water and before he knew it, they were sneaking in on the side of the building._

 _Zuko tried to not pay attention to how close she was as they waited for the patrolmen to go by, or when they were looking at the map to see where the Southern Raiders were stationed. Their unspoken communication was unworldly- Zuko had never experienced anything like it._

 _When they started heading to Whale Tail Island, Katara offered to take the reins so Zuko could get some sleep. He figured he would sleep for a few hours, she would wake him and they would switch. However when Zuko woke up, it was day time. He lifted up, surprised to see Katara still awake and holding the reins, watching the sunrise ahead._

 _"You should get some rest," he suggested, feeling concerned. "We'll be there in a few hours. You'll need all your strength."_

 _"Oh don't you worry about my strength," Katara's tone was determined as her long hair blew in the wind. "I've got plenty. I'm not the helpless little girl I was when they came."_

 _Zuko listened as she told the story of her mom, similar to Sokka's. Katara however, had seen the man, and watched as he towered over her mother. Zuko's stomach twisted when Katara told him how her mom had told her to leave, that she would take care of it._

 _"I ran as fast I could," Katara continued, still not looking at Zuko. "But we were too late. By the time we got there the man was gone; and so was she."_

 _Katara choked up on her last words, and Zuko knew her pain all too well._

 _"Your mother was a brave woman," he said._

 _"I know," Katara replied, gripping her mother's necklace tight._

 _After a silent moment, she turned, wiping the remaining tears from her face. Zuko couldn't shake the tightness in his chest when he saw how upset she was._

 _"My mother was brave as well. She did something similar, and I'll never forgive my father for it."_

 _Zuko clenched his fists and stared blankly at the clouds. Katara muttered something to Appa before joining Zuko on the saddle._

 _"What happened?" she asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his knee._

 _"As you can imagine, my family wasn't exactly functional," Zuko began._

 _He explained the family line, and how technically his Uncle Iroh was to be next in line for Fire Lord._

 _"When his son died, my Uncle fell apart," Zuko continued. "My father was apparently under the impression that this showed weakness, and suggested he take the throne instead."_

 _"I watched my grandfather get angry at him, and it scared me so bad that I ran away. Azula stayed, and when she came back she told me Father was going to kill me."_

 _"That's horrible," Katara was shocked, staring at Zuko with her eyes wide. "He wouldn't do that."_

 _"That's what I thought," Zuko replied bitterly. "But apparently, I was wrong."_

 _He took a deep breath, and Katara squeezed his knee gently in comfort._

 _"My mother woke me in the middle of the night, and told me that everything she's done, she's done to protect me. She told me 'no matter how things seem to change, remember who you are'."_

 _Zuko's jaw tightened, and he tried to fight back the embarrassing tears._

 _"Just like that, she was gone."_

 _There was a moment of silence between them. Zuko looked up to the sky, keeping the tears at bay._

 _"No one said anything?" Katara finally asked. "No one wondered where she was?"_

 _"My grandfather passed away that morning, his last dying wish being that my father take the throne instead of my Uncle. When I asked my father where she was, he didn't answer me."_

 _"That seems awfully-"_

 _"Suspicious? Yeah, I know."_

 _Silence passed between them again._

" _He was going to kill me, Katara. My own father, and my mother sacrificed herself for me."_

 _Katara looked at Zuko for a moment, and when he finally turned to look at her, he saw tears in her eyes. She leaned in for a hug, and he hugged her right back. She smelled crisp and salty like the ocean, and he felt her head rest perfectly on his shoulder._

 _"Your mother was a brave woman too," she whispered in his ear, sending goosebumps down his back. "She would be proud of the person you've become today."_

 _Zuko pulled away, their faces inches apart as she smiled weakly at him. He raised his hand gently, touching her cheek with the palm of his hand ever so gently. She surprisingly didn't move away, but her eyes widened in surprise. Without thinking, Zuko leaned in and placed his lips softly on Katara's._

 _They were soft, and she let out a little sound of surprise before she responded to the kiss. He brought his other hand to her face, and they slowly turned their heads to deepen the kiss. Just when he was running out of breath and his heart began to race, Katara stopped._

 _With a quick movement she pulled back, not meeting his eyes. He was still a little shocked by the whole thing, lowering his hands slowly._

 _"I think maybe I should get some rest after all," she said softly._

"Fire Lord Zuko?"

Zuko was shaken to reality, standing up from the couch he had been lounging on. The couch was placed next to a large window, with a glorious view of the Palace. He could see the large pond with the turtle ducks, and his favorite tall tree that cast shade on the grass with the setting sun. He always came here to think.

"You may enter," Zuko sighed, turning to the door.

Shin entered slowly, an apologetic smile on his face.

"It is the councilmen again, sir."

"Of course it is," Zuko muttered bitterly. "What do they want?"

"They want to know when you want to plan for the festival, sir," Shin replied, clearly excited about this idea.

Zuko, however, was not.

"When will the guests be arriving?" Zuko asked.

"Well, all of the festival attendees will not be arriving until the day of the celebration sir, as is tradition."

"Good, then what's the problem?" Zuko jumped into his original position on the couch again. "We've still got two weeks."

Zuko's eyes slipped closed as he rested his hands comfortably behind his head

"The attendees won't be arriving until the celebration Fire Lord Zuko, but the Avatar and his friends will be here tomorrow."

Zuko's eyes shot open.

Tomorrow?

* * *

Azula paced her cell, bouncing a fireball against the stone walls surrounding her.

"You see, it was always me who should've been the Fire Lord," she ranted, speaking to Chang who listened attentively on the other side of the door.

"I am a better firebender, a better leader, and smarter than Zuko was and ever can be," she spat angrily, hurling her fireball at the stone. It made a slight crack in the wall and she smiled wickedly.

She put the fireball out with a twist of her hand, taking a deep breath before coming to the door of her cell.

"This is why you are so important, Chang," her voice was sickly-sweet. "This is why you are such a crucial asset to my plan- and to me."

Chang's eyes lit up, and she watched him come closer to the cell as he met her gaze.

"I will do anything to make you happy, Princess Azula."

"You will be rewarded greatly for it," she purred, reaching a hand out to gently caress his cheek. "I have a very special job for you."

"Anything," he breathed.

"I need you to spy on my brother. Tell me what they are up to. Tell me what they have going on. I do not know anything, and cannot fulfill my plan without all the information I need."

"Yes, Princess," Chang nodded curtly, stepping away from the door.

"Come back to me when you've found something interesting," she hissed, moving into the shadows of her cell. "Don't disappoint me."

* * *

 _"Let's do this."_

 _Katara was ready, and pushing the earlier events out of her mind, she made an air bubble as Appa dove into the water and under the Fire Nation ship. They took down the crew of the ship with ease, and before she knew it, she was standing outside the captain's door. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, her water whips pulsing around her arms._

 _"This is it, Katara," Zuko spoke for the first time since they had entered the ship. "Are you ready to face him?"_

 _Adrenaline pumping, she knocked down the door with a great blast of water._

 _Zuko stepped ahead of her immediately, and she watched in admiration as he fought the leader with ease._

 _"Who are you?" he snarled._

 _"You don't remember her? You will soon, trust me," Zuko spat, continuing to fight the man._

 _Katara used blood-bending and she watched Zuko's eyes widen, an unspoken question passing between them. Then he shook it off and interrogated the man further. It wasn't until Katara lifted his head to see his eyes that she realized it wasn't him._

 _She felt dejected, and went to walk away. She heard Zuko screaming at the guy to tell him where the man is that they were looking for. Once the man told Zuko where Yan Rha was, the fire burst in her heart again._

 _She would find him._

 _They reached the village where Yan Rha was staying, and Katara watched the sad man's life. When she finally faced him, finally faced the man who had killed her mother, she couldn't kill him. Zuko looked at her in shock, but she didn't care. She was angry, and she stormed off with what felt like a rock in her stomach._

 _When they set up camp that night, it was eerily quiet. Zuko set up two tents, as Katara stared unseeing into the forest behind them. He set up firewood, and shot a flame at the wood with a small blast. Katara turned, taking in the warmth of the fire as she watched the flames lick the air around them. She was sitting cross-legged in the dirt, and Zuko sat next to her, looking into the fire as well._

 _"What you did back there, it was impressive," Zuko all but whispered, breaking the long silence._

 _"It wasn't impressive," Katara snapped back, her voice quiet. "It was pathetic, and weak."_

 _"I don't think so," Zuko argued, and Katara looked at him for the first time that night. His golden eyes were beautiful in the firelight, and she couldn't help but get lost in them, just for a second._

 _"What you did, it's strength," Zuko continued. "You could've killed him. You could've done it, but you didn't. Two wrongs don't make a right. Everything Aang said was true."_

 _"Do you really think so?" Katara asked, leaning a little closer than was necessary._

 _"Yeah," Zuko replied softly. "Yeah, I do."_

 _Katara's heart swelled, and before she thought about it, she leaned in and kissed Zuko. The second time was not as awkward as the first, and her stomach erupted in butterflies. Zuko hesitated only for a second before leaning back into the kiss. She felt his fingers tentatively run through her hair, and she scooted closer for more contact._

 _As their lips moved in a perfect rhythm, Katara tried to keep her pounding heart and racing mind under control. What was she doing? Did she like Zuko? Did she have feelings for him? What about Aang? What would this do to him?_

 _Katara ripped away quickly from Zuko's embrace, her eyes shooting open._

 _"Katara, I-" Zuko's cheeks turned pink._

 _"Z-Zuko-" Katara stuttered, her own face going hot as she fully realized what they had done. "I, uh, I don't think we can- I mean we can't-"_

 _She broke off her sentence, struggling to find the words. After a moment's hesitation, she knew she needed to get away from those sad golden eyes. With one more longing glance, she turned and ran inside her tent._

"Katara! Katara, wake up!"

Katara rolled over, rubbing her eyes as she sat up on the saddle. Sokka had the reins of Appa with Suki sitting beside him, his arm around her shoulders. Aang was shaking her gently, an excited look in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked, moving her hair out of her face as the warm air hit her cheeks.

"We're here!" Aang exclaimed excitedly. "We've made it to the Fire Nation!"

 **A/N: Ok, so now we know how their original relationship began in the first place. Don't worry guys, the action is coming! They are officially in the Fire Nation!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright guys, I'm on a roll here. I just keep spitting these things out…I think I'm a little excited hehe.**

 **Ok so this chapter is another filler, but again, important information. For quite a few chapters I will have this flash-back format, as I stated before. I really enjoy writing this way, a story within a story. As always though, if it becomes confusing anyway, please let me know!**

 **Enjoy!**

Azula was sleeping when she heard a soft tap on her door. Being the light sleeper she always was, her eyes shot open and she jumped out of bed.

"Princess Azula?"

The nervous whisper came from Chang, and letting the breath out she didn't know she was holding, she walked to the door.

"What have you brought me, Chang?" she asked, looking into the man's small green eyes. "What is the latest?"

"Well I went to go spy on Fire Lord Zuko last night, and before I made it to the hallway of his room, I caught Mai sneaking out of the palace."

"Does she reside at the palace?" Azula asked with her eyebrows raised, a bit caught off-guard.

"No ma'am, but the palace is a short cut through the city, making it a quicker journey to-"

"I already know this, Chang!" she shot, her glare murderous. "I was once a Princess who actually _lived_ in the palace!"

"I-I did not mean to offend, Princess," Chang stammered, taking a step back from the door. "I only meant that she might've been sneaking through for another purpose."

Azula wondered where Mai could be going, what she could be up to. She thought of her friend, and reminded herself she was of no importance anymore. Mai had betrayed her.

"Chang, are you aware of what happened between Mai and I at the other Fire Nation prison?"

"She betrayed you and helped Zuko escape?"

"Yes," Azula's tone turned dark as she looked the man in the eye. "So is there a reason why you would come to me in the middle of the night, risking our secrecy, to tell me something about a girl I could care less about?"

"I just thought you might find the information useful, I-"

"Well you thought wrong!" Azula hissed, trying to keep from screaming and drawing attention to herself. "Unless you have something of value to me, you need to leave. _Now_!"

"They are planning a celebration," Chang added quickly, a trickle of sweat running down his face. "The celebration of the Avatar. It will be held in a little over a week."

Azula's ears perked up, and she smiled evilly. How could she forget? Held every year, all the nations would be reuniting. This year was the Fire Nation's turn to host.

"So the Avatar will be there then, along with his friends?"

"Yes ma'am," Chang replied, excited he was in her good graces once more.

"So then the water-bender will be here then, correct?"

"Master Katara? Yes, of course, she is the Avatar's girlfriend."

Azula laughed softly, her mind rolling into action.

"Excellent."

* * *

"We will need to shut down the main street leading across the city. It will need to be completely clear for the parade."

Zuko tried to pay attention. He had been in this meeting for several hours now, and was not much of a party planner.

"Fire Lord Zuko, what color balloons should we have at the festival?" A woman asked, a large roll of paper laying before her, grabbing the pencil that had been tucked behind her ear.

"Uh," Zuko scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know. I suppose, every color?"

She looked at him blankly for a second, then her face split into a grin as she started scribbling down some notes.

"Fire Lord Zuko, should we have Fire Flakes or Spicy Potato Soup at our food booths representing the Fire Nation?" another voice piped up, this one belonging to the head chef, still wearing his tall black chef's hat and dirty red apron.

"Both?" Zuko was unsure why any of this mattered, but knew it was important he be a part of this- that was the point after all.

"I think Fire Lord Zuko has had enough questions for the moment," Uncle Iroh interrupted, giving Zuko a knowing glance. "I would like to discuss the importance of music and dance! I have a few ideas…"

Zuko was grateful for his Uncle's change of subject, for they all knew Iroh was the musical one of the family. He relaxed at little in his chair, his mind wandering far from the meeting room…

 _Zuko sat in the grass, watching the water hit the rocks on the shore in front of him. It was the middle of the night, but he couldn't sleep. The light breeze blew his hair out of his eyes, and he stared at the reflection of the moonlight on the lightly moving waters._

 _He didn't know what Aang was going to do. He was so against violence, and yet that was his father's entire drive. He knew his father was strong; stronger than most in fact. He wasn't sure how Aang would ever defeat him if he wasn't willing to fight to get there._

 _"You can't sleep either huh?"_

 _Katara interrupted his thoughts, sitting next to him. She sat with her legs out stretched, supporting her body with her flattened hands in the grass. He watched her long hair move loosely in the wind as her skin glowed beautifully from the moon. He looked away- he had to stop thinking like that._

 _"What's keeping you awake?" Zuko asked, his voice a bit scratchy from lack of use._

 _"Waterbenders receive power from the moon," Katara explained, looking up into the sky. "Usually it doesn't disturb my sleep, only when I have a lot on my mind."_

 _She made eye contact with him briefly, then stared out into the water._

 _"What about you?" she asked after a moment._

 _"I'm just worried about Aang," Zuko admitted, laying on his back with a sigh. "He doesn't get it! My father is a violent and powerful man. He cannot use his peaceful words and kind gestures to take him down. He will lose, and if he loses…"_

 _Zuko trailed off, not wanting to think about it._

 _"Aang will figure it out eventually," Katara seemed confident. "He is just going against everything he was ever taught."_

 _Zuko was quiet, still annoyed with the whole situation. This wasn't just about Aang; this was about the world and balance and peace. He couldn't let something like childhood teachings stop him from winning._

 _"It's not just Aang I'm worried about," Katara admitted, letting out a sigh. "It's not just him going into battle. We are_ all _going into battle. What if we don't…I mean…what if we aren't strong enough?"_

 _Zuko was quiet, looking at the worry lines creased into her forehead._

 _"We're just kids, after all," Katara seemed agitated now. "It's a lot of pressure, and everyone seems so calm! Still laughing and having a good time, but I just_ can't _. My entire family, friends, everyone I love…they're all about to risk their lives."_

 _She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and looking at Zuko._

 _"I just can't stand the thought of losing them."_

 _"You won't," Zuko scooted closer now. "You guys are some of the strongest benders I've ever seen. You'll be fine. We'll_ all _be fine."_

 _Katara stared at him for a long moment, to the point where Zuko started to feel a little self-conscious. What was she looking at? His scar?_

 _As if she had read his mind, she reached up slowly to touch the marking on his face. His breath hitched, and her eyes moved from his to look at the damaged skin on his face. Her fingers wrapped more securely around his face, making gentle movements on his cheek._

 _"Can you feel that?" she whispered in fascination._

 _"Yeah," Zuko choked out, his heart beating faster than usual._

 _She looked up at him again, and he hadn't realized how close she had gotten until now. She met his eyes again, an unspoken question in her blue orbs. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, but it was hard to focus with her ocean scent surrounding him in every direction. He glanced down at her lips; she was close, really close._

 _She leaned in, her lips touching his in an uncertain gesture. Zuko waited for a moment, wondering what exactly what she was doing. But when she pressed her lips a little harder against his, he dropped his defensive manner. He kissed her back, but couldn't shake the little voice in the back of his head. What was he doing?_

 _What was_ she _doing?_

 _Didn't she say just the day before that they couldn't do this? Didn't she run away into her tent without a word to him for the rest of the night? Did she just forget how completely awkward the entire trip home was? Did she know how much she caught him off guard when she turned around and told him she forgave him when they got back?_

 _But then her hand slipped down his side, and he wasn't able to think much longer. He reached out a hand as well, wanting to touch her too…_

The meeting room door opened with a loud creak of metal, and Zuko was abruptly brought back to the meeting.

"I suggest we also have others to accompany the Tsungi horn," a councilmen popped up. "Perhaps a vocalist?"

"Excellent suggestion, Rhan!" Iroh replied in delight, clapping his hands together. "Perhaps we could also-"

The opener of the door cleared his throat, an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said to the silent room, all eyes on him. "The Avatar has arrived."

* * *

They climbed off of Appa, the bison giving a sigh of relief to not be flying anymore. Katara immediately felt overdressed in her blue fluffy coat- she forgot how hot it was here.

"Whoo!" Sokka exclaimed excitedly, putting his hand over his eyes for shade. "I can smell those Fire Flakes from here!"

"I can't wait to have a look around," Aang added, popping out his glider. "It will be so great to see the entire Nation restored. We haven't visited here in so long!"

Katara welcomed the distraction; anything to prolong the inevitable. Just when she was getting excited about trying some her favorite Fire Nation foods again, a royal palace servant greeted them with a smile.

"Avatar and friends!" he exclaimed, his arms wide open in a friendly gesture. "Welcome to the Fire Nation!"

He bowed to them in a respectful manner, and they all bowed back.

"We would like to invite you in to see the Fire Lord now. He is very happy to see all of you again."

Katara's heart skipped a beat.

"Uh, that's nice, but I think we were going to have a look around first," she told the servant, looking around at the group. "Right guys?"

"Oh no, it's ok, Katara," Aang piped up happily, snapping his glider closed again. "If Zuko wants to see us now, let's go. We haven't seen him in a while anyway!"

"Yeah Katara, don't you want to say hello?" Sokka asked, looking at her with crinkled eyebrows.

"Of course I do!" Katara gave a nervous laugh. "I just thought we were going to take a tour first, that's all!"

"We can do that afterwards if you'd like, Master Katara," the servant said, smiling warmly. "I'm sure Fire Lord Zuko himself would like to give the tour."

Katara swallowed, offering him a weak smile and nod.

They followed the man into the entrance of the palace. It was beautiful, with walls on their left and stone pillars on their right, the ceiling reaching high above their heads. The walls were decorated with torches holding red flames and portraits of royalty in intricate frames. The gaps between the pillars were wide, giving a wonderful few of the beautiful grounds surrounding the palace. Everywhere you looked there was yellow-green grass, small bodies of water, and peaceful gazebos of varying sizes.

It was hard for Katara to notice anything however, for her heart was pounding in her chest and her hands were a bit shaky. Why was she so nervous? It wasn't that big of a deal to see him again, was it?

Suki was walking next to her, and gave her a concerned look. Katara managed a reassuring smile, but Suki grabbed her shaking hand and squeezed it without saying a word. Sokka and Aang were walking in front of them, oohing and aahing at the decorations surrounding them. They reached a wooden door, and Katara could smell the sharp scent of Fire Nation spices. She had definitely missed the food here.

"Let me just make sure he is ready," the servant smiled at them, slipping into the room and closing the door gently behind him.

"Ready for what?" Sokka asked, scratching his head. "It's just us. We don't need any royal-"

The door opened again, cutting Sokka's statement short. The servant came out, grinning from ear to ear.

"Fire Lord Zuko is excited to see you," he beamed. "You may go inside."

Katara took a shaky breath and followed the others inside the room.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the follows and reviews guys! You all encourage me to keep writing, and more reviews would definitely be appreciated! Thank you so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Zuko!"

Katara was surprised to see Aang run in first, clearly excited. He wrapped his arms around Zuko in a friendly hug, and Zuko's eyes widened before he awkwardly wrapped his arms around Aang. They were the same height now, and they pulled away quickly to smile at each other.

"Hey buddy, how've you been?" Sokka laughed, wrapping his arm around Zuko's shoulders. "I've missed my partner in crime."

Zuko laughed softly at this, and mumbled something Katara couldn't hear. Suki's hand slipped from Katara's, and she ran to Zuko as well. She wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug before pulling away to stand next to Sokka.

"It's good to see you again, it's been so long!" she added happily.

Katara was the only one left, and she could feel the small lump in her throat. She got closer, leaning in for a hug. Her eyes moved to his broad shoulders, and wondered if his arms had become larger under his Fire Nation robes. He kept that same shaggy haircut she used to love, and had grown just a bit taller. When she met his eyes, she realized she just couldn't get herself to hug him, not yet. She leaned back slightly, and they both chuckled nervously.

"Uh, hey Zuko," Katara said softly, reaching out for a handshake.

"Hey Katara," he rubbed the back of his neck, taking her hand and shaking it.

"I've really missed you," Katara blurted out, turning a little pink.

"I've missed you too," he told her, letting his hand slip slowly out of hers. "I've missed all of you."

He added the statement at the end, as if he realized everyone was watching. Katara tried to ignore Aang's questioning gaze.

"Yeah, where've you been, Zuko?" Sokka asked. "You too good for us now that you're the 'Fire Lord'?"

Sokka made quotations with his hands, then crossed his arms with his nose in the air.

"Sokka," Suki slapped him on the arm, and he yelped in protest, his eyes wide. "Don't say that! He's probably just been busy."

"I have," Zuko looked down, not meeting any of their gazes. Katara couldn't help notice the way his hair hung in his face so wonderfully.

"That's no excuse though," he added, sadly. "I should've made time. You guys are the only friends I've ever had…I guess I'm not good at having friends."

"Don't worry about it, Zuko," Aang reassured, giving him a pat on the back. "We're here now aren't we? Do you want to show us around the palace?"

* * *

"I think that's a wonderful idea!"

Zuko's uncle entered the room, and after a cry of surprise, everyone ran to give him a hug. Iroh laughed and wrapped his arms around all of them. Zuko smiled; his Uncle was always very popular amongst everyone he met.

"I will take over the planning, my nephew," Iroh suggested happily when they had broken free from their group hug. "You can show your friends where they will be staying while they are here. I still have a few dance numbers I'd like to demonstrate for the festival planners!"

Zuko cringed at the thought of his Uncle demonstrating any dance numbers, and quickly nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'll do that," he agreed, turning toward the group.

He gestured with his arm for them to follow him, holding long eye contact with Katara before walking ahead of the group.

It only took a few minutes of seeing Katara to know he was in big trouble.

She had grown maybe a couple of inches taller since he had last seen her, but then so had he so it was hard to tell. Her hair was longer, and her face was slimmer. He had noticed how tight her clothes had gotten; even through her coat he could see how much curvier she was.

He swallowed hard, trying to keep the thoughts from invading his brain completely and putting him in an uncomfortable position.  
He walked through the palace hallways, and smiled to himself as he listened to everyone marvel at the decorations.

"Look, it's Fire Lady, Ursa!" Suki exclaimed, and Zuko turned around to see her pointing at a picture of his mother. "She was so beautiful."

"Yeah," Zuko stopped, turning around and coming closer to the portrait. "She really was."

"Look over here!" Aang exclaimed, pointing at a metal torch that was attached to the wall. "It's changing colors! How did you get it to do that?"

"It's a certain fluid one of the Fire Nation inventors came up with," Zuko replied, watching the flame burn from red to blue. "The wick is filled with different combinations of chemicals, making the flame change color as it burns on. It changes to either red, blue, green, or yellow. The colors are meant to represent the four nations; to show that the Fire Nation is a part of something bigger."

He saw Katara smile as she gazed into the blue flames, somehow making her eyes even more beautiful than they already were.

 _Ugh_ , Zuko thought bitterly, _stop it already_.

After a few turns and a few set of stairs, they arrived at a large double door. Zuko opened it, entering into a beautifully decorated living area. The ceilings were high, and the walls were filled with fire nation banners and painted pictures. There were many bookshelves of varying sizes, and small cabinets filled with different items. There were many black leather couches with deep red plush pillows, designed in a semi-circle in the middle of the room.

"Look at how comfy the pillows look!" Suki gushed, doing a front flip onto the couch. She immediately sat up, hunching over to catch her breath.

"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed, running to sit next to her on the deep read couch, putting his arm around her. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Suki breathed in deep, sitting up a little straighter with her eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah I must've just landed weird, and lost my breath."

Aang watched in concern, but once he realized Suki was ok, he began zipping around the room, inspecting every corner. The others joined him, opening cabinets and moving books around.

"Wow, Zuko!" Aang excitedly moved from shelf to shelf, looking closely at all the different knick-knacks and books. "You really have a lot of cool stuff. Is this from the Western Air Temple?"

He held up a gray stone, an ancient twisted symbol carved into the front of it. Zuko gave him a yes with a small nod.

"Check it out!" Sokka picked up a blue helmet. "It's a battle helmet from the Southern Water Tribe!"

"The official face paint from Kyoshi Island?" Suki turned with a sparkle in her eye, holding a jar of white paint.

"Waterbender scrolls!" It was the first time Katara had spoken since their initial greeting. Her eyes lit up as she pulled one of them off a high shelf. She unrolled them, her eyes wide as she read across the paper. She turned to look at Zuko.

"Did you get all this stuff?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I thought you might like it," he shrugged, unable to make eye contact with anyone in the room.

"Well you sure did a good job!" Sokka cheered, beginning to dig through more cabinets. "There's tons of stuff in this place!"

Suki went to join Katara in looking at the waterbending scrolls. Zuko crossed his arms, leaning in the doorway to watch his friends.

Katara smiled down at the scroll, showing Suki the different moves she wanted to try. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and he watched her for a while. She was so pretty; even after four years, her face was still as beautiful as the first time he saw her. Exotic darker skin with the contrasting blue eyes. Their initial hellos had been awkward, and he could've sworn she looked more nervous than he was.

" _I really missed you"_

He knew she had not meant to say it; just like he hadn't meant to admit it back. It wasn't as if their lack of seeing each other was unintentional. There was a reason they had not contacted each other, not written each other letters, not had any contact after all this time. She knew the reason as well as he did.

Zuko's thoughts turned bitter, a scowl forming on his face. How dare she? Tell him she missed him after all this time. As if he had anything to do with her decision? She knew when she made the choice she made, the consequences she would have.

With an angry fire boiling slowly inside of him, Zuko slipped quietly out of the room.

* * *

 _Katara didn't know why she was doing this, why she was sneaking out at night_ again.

 _She slipped out of bed, silent footsteps leading her down the hall and outside the house they had been residing in. She closed the front door slowly, flinching when it gave a small creak. When she could still hear Toph's scratchy snoring in the background, she breathed a sigh of relief, pulling the door completely closed with a small click._

 _She made her way to the beach, moving a bit closer to the water. She could feel her element and stopped, taking a calming breath as her eyes slipped closed. She could smell the salty air from the ocean, and it reminded her so much of her home. After another moment, she began walking again, coming out from behind a tall rock that had been obscuring most of the view of the beach._

 _Her heart pumped a little faster when she saw Zuko up ahead, propped up on his elbows, staring out into the ocean. It was like he knew she would be there; as if he was waiting for her._

 _Not that she didn't already know he'd be here._

 _She approached slowly, the waves crashing on the shore the only sound that could be heard. When she sat down next to him, he looked at her calmly, as if he wasn't even surprised she was coming._

 _"Every time I look out onto the ocean," Katara muttered, watching the waves. "I think about how small we all truly are. How I'm just one person amongst millions."_

 _Zuko nodded, his hair blowing lightly in the gentle sea breeze._

 _"Do you ever wonder what you'll do after we win the war?" Katara questioned. She always wanted to know what was on his mind; he was always so quiet._

 _"Well…I'm hoping I can take my place as the Fire Lord," Zuko answered. "Although, I am hoping my Uncle will take the spot instead."_

 _"I don't just mean restoring your honor, Zuko," Katara teased, giving a small chuckle. "I mean way later. Do you ever wonder what the future holds for you?"_

 _"I always just saw myself running the Nation," Zuko admitted, turning to look at Katara. "Maybe getting married one day."_

 _"Continuing the family lineage?" Katara added without thinking._

 _"Yeah," Zuko scoffed, looking away once more. "I guess that, too."_

 _Katara scooted closer to Zuko, something she always inevitably ended up doing._

 _"Do you not want to?" Katara's curiosity was getting the better of her._

 _"I just don't think I'd make a very good father," Zuko sighed. "I don't have much to go on."_

 _He added this bitterly, sitting up a little straighter and bending his legs at the knees, his hands resting softly in the sand on either side of him._

 _"What about your uncle?" Katara pointed out. "Wasn't he always a father figure to you?"_

 _"Yeah," the corner of Zuko's mouth pulled up into a half-smile. "He was."_

 _"Besides," Katara whispered, resting her hand gently on top of Zuko's. "I think you'd make a wonderful father."_

 _Zuko made eye contact with her, his eyes sparkling slightly. They stayed like this for a while, her hand never leaving his._

 _They talked for what felt like only minutes to Katara, but she knew that hours had passed. They talked about their families, and how different the Water and Fire nations were. They talked about Uncle Iroh, and his influence on Zuko's life._

 _Katara couldn't figure out what it was about Zuko that kept pulling her back. She was with Aang after all, or at least, she thought she was. They had been through so much together, and she had always loved being around him. Aang's positive energy was infectious, and she always had fun when he was there. He could make her laugh at the worst of times, and always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better._

 _Yet, there was something about Zuko._

" _Katara?"_

 _Zuko was moving her hair out of her face, trying to get her attention. She had not realized she was spacing out, and her heart skipped when she felt Zuko's fingers slide softly across her face. It was a bold move for him, but she wasn't about to question it._

" _What are you thinking about?" he all but whispered, leaning a little closer to her face._

" _I-uh-" what was this effect he had on her? This mind-numbing lust that pounded through her veins?_

 _She met his questioning gaze, and her eyes moved down his straight nose to his lips. She could not resist any more, and before she knew what she was doing, she was pressing her lips hard against his. He let out a slight groan, clearly startled by her sudden decision._

 _They were in an uncomfortable position, his head moved at an awkward angle to reach her, while she was leaned at a sharp incline to reach him. She tried to shuffle with her knees to get closer. She became frustrated, breaking the kiss to move in front of him. He just watched her, unable to say much of anything._

 _She kissed him hard once more, and they picked up a fast rhythm almost instantly. His hands moved to her sides, and made slow movements up and down the slight curves of her hips. She let out a small sigh, moving even closer and putting her hands on his shoulders. She dragged her fingers lightly across his shoulders, moving down the sides of his upper arms. She could feel every muscle, and the desire burned deeply in the pit of her stomach. She gently pushed his shoulders down, lowering him until he was laying completely in the sand._

 _They broke the kiss only so she could climb more comfortably on top of him, and he tried to protest._

" _Katara, are you sure you-"_

 _She silenced him with her lips, lowering her hips onto his upper thigh. He let out a muffled groan at the contact, and her insides twisted in pleasure. She felt Zuko's tongue touch her lips gently, and she opened her mouth eagerly to let him in. She touched his tongue with hers, letting out a slight moan; it was all so_ good _. Their tongues danced, and she felt his hands move quickly to her sides once more, his fingers wiggling gently underneath her top. She sucked in a breath, feeling his hand slide slowly upwards-_

"Momo!"

Katara was startled awake, her heart pounding and sweat forming at the top of her forehead. It took her a moment to realize that Aang was sleep-talking, which had been what woke her up. When she saw him sleeping so peacefully next to her, she felt the hard twist of guilt in her stomach; the pain was now becoming so familiar.

She rolled over, letting her eyes slip closed and praying for no more memories tonight.

 **A/N: I'm sorry guys, I'm a sucker for cliffhangers! Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Whoo! Ok, this is a long one. Almost 4,000 words, but it's totally worth it. This, my friends, is where the angst begins. My whole point of writing this to be honest; I love me some angst.**

 **Anyway, shout out to all the people who have followed and reviewed so far! I don't want to sound desperate, but reviews really encourage me to keep going, and keep me knowing that people are enjoying this story. Please, if you haven't already, or have something to add, please review. It really does make my day more than you guys know.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much! Happy reading!**

It had been a while since Zuko had been surrounded by so many people for breakfast. He watched his friends all gathered around the very long table in the dining hall. Sokka was making faces on his plate with his breakfast food, showing Suki, who would always giggle.

"Eat," she protested, still smiling and handing him his fork.

"This is my third plate!" Sokka looked proud as he took the fork from her. "Besides, this is the first time I've seen you smile today. You've been cranky lately."

Suki narrowed her eyes at him, but did not argue. Zuko figured it must be true. Sokka and Suki truly were perfect for each other, even _he_ could see that. Suki always seemed to keep Sokka focused, while he was always there to make her laugh. This made Zuko wonder about Mai and how she was doing; she had refused to talk to him or answer any of his messages when he tried to contact her. They had not spoken before due to her lack of patience, but it had never been quite this long before.

With a sigh, Zuko's eyes moved to Katara and Aang, who were sitting across from the other pair. Aang was chatting happily, spinning his fork in mid-air with a consistent flick of his wrist. Katara nodded every few moments, but didn't seem to be saying much at all.

"-and I just thought, maybe if Momo learned some hand signals, we could get him to do some tasks for us," Aang was excited about this idea, his eyes lighting up. "Think of the possibilities!"

Katara nodded again, but didn't have much else to say. She seemed distant.

 _Maybe that's how she is with everyone_ , Zuko thought bitterly, slamming his fork a little harder than necessary into his last bite of spicy hash browns.

"Hey Zuko!" Sokka called, even though they were all sitting relatively close together. "When are we going to get to see outside the palace?"

"Yeah I want to have a look around at everything!" Aang piped up, smiling brightly.

"I don't know," Zuko hesitated; he hadn't had time for things like that in a while. "You guys can go, but I'm sure I am still needed here for-"

"Nonsense, Zuko!" Uncle Iroh intervened happily while walking into the dining hall. Why was he always around when Zuko was trying to get out of things?

Zuko's jaw tightened, and he narrowed his eyes at his uncle, who did not seem to notice.

"I have taken the liberty to cancel all meetings for you!" he continued, beaming at the Fire Lord.

"You what?" Zuko was very frustrated; must his uncle meddle in everything? "I can't just skip a whole day of meetings, what if-"

"Eh, take the day off," Sokka interjected with a casual flick of his hand, as if waving off Zuko's worries. "The Fire Nation will be fine one day without you."

"Your friend is right, Zuko," Iroh agreed, some his smile fading as his gaze on Zuko became more serious. "You have been working far too hard. A man needs rest and relaxation for his own well-being. You will not do the Fire Nation any good being stressed out all the time."

"Yeah come on, Zuko," Katara spoke up, looking at Zuko with a small smile. "Give yourself a break for a change. You're always so serious."

Zuko looked away, not responding to her statement.

"Fine," he let out a defeated sigh, knowing he would not win this one anyway.

"Alright!" Aang airbended himself out of his seat, punching the air in excitement.

The others followed out the door, Katara being the last one in the crowd before Zuko. Iroh was at the door, waving at them as they left, telling them to have a good time. Zuko swallowed, noticing Katara had decided to ditch the Water Nation clothes today. She was wearing the traditional red Fire Nation skirt, though it was a shorter style this time, showing her knees. Paired with the skirt was a tight red shirt, showing her stomach and the dramatic curve of her hips. He watched them sway back and forth as she walked in front of him, mesmerized by the movements.

"Try to have some fun," Iroh muttered, giving him a knowing smirk as Zuko headed out the door.

When they finally reached the town right outside the palace, everyone's eyes immediately lit up. Zuko had to admit, the town really was beautiful; it had been a while since he had come out to appreciate it. The ground was decorated with mismatched sizes of beige stone, smoothed down to make it even. There were an array of different aromas in the air, predominantly strong spices due to the Fire Nation restaurants. Stone-walled shops with red intricate tops were on every corner, ranging from one to three-story buildings. Wooden sale carts were scattered everywhere on the streets, with Fire Nation citizens bustling about.

"Look at this one over here!" Sokka exclaimed, running to a shop marked "Weapons for Warriors". "It says here all these weapons are handmade!"

They followed him inside, and Suki giggled as she watched his jaw drop at the entire wall holding nothing but boomerangs. Aang picked up a small stick with a hand-carved spear tied securely to the end of it.

"What do you think this is used for?" Zuko turned, seeing Katara holding up a small black cylinder with a short white wick sticking out.

"What makes you think I would know?" Zuko spat back, trying so hard to keep his eyes on her face and nothing below.

"Well _excuse_ me," she looked hurt, an angry scowl on her face. "I was just trying to-"

"Fire Lord Zuko!"

The store owner beamed, his arms held wide as a greeting. As if realizing his error, the man's face turned serious, bowing low.

"There's no need for that, sir," Zuko rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, his cheeks tinging pink.

"So humble!" the man proclaimed, his eyes appreciative as he straightened back up. "What brings your highness and his friends into my shop today?"

"We were just-"

"How much for the boomerangs?" Sokka emerged, well at least his legs did. The rest of him aside from his hands were concealed by the enormous pile of boomerangs he was trying to balance.

"Uh, 3 gold pieces per boomerang," the owner answered, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Sokka!" Suki snapped, clearly irritated with her hands on her hips. "What in the world are you going to do with that many boomerangs?"

"It's a _collection_ , Suki!" Sokka explained as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Geesh! See what I mean? Cranky!"

Suki marched to the pile Sokka was carrying and looked around it to give him a furious glare.

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" her voice lowered, even making Zuko a little uneasy.

"What?" Sokka was suddenly nervous, slowly moving back to the wall where the boomerangs were originally displayed. "No…no! I'm just putting all of these back! It was a joke!"

Sokka moved at the speed of light, placing all the boomerangs back on the wall. He finished, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, giving a nervous laugh.

"Okay!" Aang broke the tension, clapping his hands together. "Let's keep looking around! Very nice to meet you, sir!"

Aang waved at the store owner before exiting first. The man gave a polite bow as the group exited the store.

They made their way through the rest of the town, stopping per Katara's request at a small bookstore. They entered the shop, a small bell attached to the door announcing their arrival. The shelves started at the floor and hit the ceiling, rolling ladders attached to the wooden planks dividing the shelves.

"'100 warrior fighting moves you probably don't know'," Suki read with interest, pulling a green book off a bottom shelf.

"Everything there is to know about the Air Nomads!" Aang proclaimed excitedly, using air to yank seven books off the shelf at once, his eyes lit with excitement.

He flipped one of them over, as Sokka joined him.

"'The Air Nomads were known for their tranquility and peace'," Aang read, sitting in a small chair behind him. "'Inside, you'll find the history that lead to this, and why their practice kept harmony among their nation.' Cool!"

Zuko watched Katara reach high above her head to pull a red hard-cover book off the shelf.

"'Just a Dream'," she read the title out loud, sparking Suki's interest who came to look at it over her shoulder. "'When two lovers are split up, they are in doubt that they will ever see each other again. Life moves on, they meet other people, and years go by. When their paths cross once more, they must decide whether what they had was real, or if it was all just a dream'."

Zuko scoffed loudly, earning a raised eyebrow look from both girls.

"What's so funny?" Katara questioned with a snippy tone.

"Oh, that just sounds like something you'd enjoy," Zuko muttered darkly, scowling at her before looking away.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Katara snapped.

He spun around to look at her, watching Suki slip awkwardly on the other side of the shop with Sokka and Aang.

"That doesn't ring any bells?" Zuko asked, his scowl deepening as he pointed at the book. "Doesn't that seem a little ironic?"

Sokka and Aang were involved in their own conversation, but Zuko watched Katara glance nervously at them anyway.

"Whoops, sorry," Zuko hissed, straightening up and shooting her a nasty look. "Wouldn't want to let our little secret get out would we? Since that's all it ever was."

"Zuko, what are you-"

"Do you guys hear that?" Aang sprang from his chair, his eyes wide as he looked out the shop window.

Zuko turned, watching out the window at the setting sun. He could hear the faint sound of music, and cheering outside. Aang rushed outside, the group following behind him. They made their way to an open courtyard, a crowd of people making a circle around a dancing couple. They were clapping to the rhythm of the music coming from a band off to the side on a small platform.

"Are they dancing?" Sokka asked, clearly confused. "I thought the people of the Fire Nation didn't dance?"

"The Fire Nation isn't the same anymore," Zuko responded, a small smile on his face. "I let the people express themselves however they like. I'm not interested in the old Fire Nation customs…at least not the controlling ones."

He looked at Katara, who was watching the dancers with an excited light in her eyes. He felt his stomach clench, watching her hair blow in the subtle wind. He squeezed his eyes shut, looking away quickly and walking closer to the group to get away from her.

"You brought dancing back to the Fire Nation, Zuko," Aang was clearly happy, and gave him a bright smile. "This is so amazing."

Zuko nodded, giving him an appreciative smile before turning back to watch the dancers. The couple had been joined by many others, laughing and smiling as they all free-styled to the upbeat music. Suki pulled Sokka out to join her, and he awkwardly tried to keep up with her warrior-like moves.

"Come on, Katara!" Aang turned, grabbing Katara behind him and dragging her out with the dancers.

She glanced over her shoulder, giving Zuko a sad look before turning back to the front. eyes widened before he bowed his head, his stomach clenching again. After all these years, she still affected him this way.

* * *

Katara watched Zuko look away, a tight squeeze in her chest. She hated to see him look that way, so defeated and sad.

Aang held her hand tight, and pulled her in front of him so they were facing each other.

"Do you remember that dance we did all those years ago together?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

She nodded, a small smile creeping onto her face. Of course she remembered. She could never forget how jealous she was as she watched him dance with that pretty fire nation girl. How impressed she was at his smooth movement, or how her heart fluttered when she asked him to dance with her.

They began their dance again, and she went through the motions with him. She remembered all those years ago the way they locked eyes, so in sync with one another as the Fire Nation children watched in awe. They were so fluid, so in rhythm, without even speaking to each other. She knew that was the first time she thought she truly was in love with Aang.

"Do you not remember what comes next?" Aang was behind her now, his arms around her waist and whispering in her ear.

A furious blush crept onto her cheeks, her face growing hot. She had not realized she had stopped dancing.

"It's ok," he soothed, though his tone was less than convincing. "I guess it was a long time ago anyway."

Katara glanced up, just in time to see Zuko's turned back as he started walking away.

"I-I have to go to the bathroom," Katara spun out of his arms, giving him an apologetic smile.

He looked taken aback, and opened his mouth to protest, but Katara had already gotten away. She pushed through the crowd of clapping people, none of them seeming to notice her as she tried to catch up with Zuko. She picked up speed, her heart beating faster as she rounded a corner. She saw him stalking down an empty alley, his fists clenched. He heard her approaching footsteps, spinning around in a battle stance.

"Zuko! Wait!" she yelled trying to catch up with him.

He shot a fireball and it landed about 3 feet in front of her, singeing the beautiful stone with a black scorch mark.

"What is your _problem_?" Katara shouted, whipping water out of her small satchel to put out the flame.

"Get out of here, Katara," Zuko yelled, still in his battle stance.

"I want to talk to you!" she protested, trying to walk closer, her hands up in surrender.

"Well, I don't want to talk to _you_ ," Zuko spat back, another fireball swirling slightly above his palm. "Just get away from here!"

"Why, Zuko?" Katara had slight desperation hidden in the anger of her voice. "What is _wrong_ with you?!"

Zuko immediately put out the flame, running right for Katara. She yelped, jumping sideways and colliding with the wall. She pressed her back to it, an angry Zuko now towering over her cringing form with his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her.

"What's _wrong_ with me?" he repeated menacingly, his voice soft. "What's _wrong_ with me?"

"You've been acting extremely pissy towards me all day," Katara sounded a lot braver than she felt, barely able to hear herself over her pounding heart in her ears. "You've gotten mad at me for something and won't even tell me what it is!"

Zuko closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Katara could've sworn she saw wisps of smoke come out of his nostrils as he exhaled.

"Don't you dare tell me you missed me," he whispered, his golden eyes meeting her wide blue ones. "You knew what you were getting into when you chose. You knew what the consequences were, when you made your decision."

"Zuko, I-"

"So don't tell me you missed me," Zuko went on, his tone still dark. "Don't tell me you missed me, and then go dance with the Avatar the very next day."

He gestured to her clothes with one of his hands, standing straight up again.

"Especially dressed like that."

Katara looked down at her clothes, blushing when she realized how truly revealing they were. She knew she should've gone with the longer skirt.

"It's like history's repeating itself," Zuko muttered, looking away from her and running a hand through his messy hair.

"Zuko, I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to?" Zuko laughed without humor, turning to meet her eyes again.

"I didn't know he was going to ask me to dance!" Katara argued indignantly. "And I _did_ miss you! I was telling the truth!"

Zuko met her eyes, a hint of sadness in their golden depths.

"I really did miss you," Katara said again, her voice softer now. "You were my best friend."

"Don't say that!" Zuko was enraged again, getting so close to her face they were practically nose to nose. "Don't say you miss me like it's my fault I'm not around! It was your choice remember?!"

 _"Katara," Zuko spoke her name softly, breaking off their kiss._

 _They had met in the middle of the night again, in their usual spot behind the tall rock on the beach. Katara pulled back, looking curiously at Zuko._

 _"What is it?" she asked, a flutter in her stomach as she wondered if he was going to tell her to stop._

 _"I-I-" Zuko suddenly became nervous, sitting up a little straighter so that Katara had to lean back and sit on her knees._

 _"What?" she pressed again, now very curious._

 _"I uh," Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her eyes. "I need to tell you something."_

 _Katara waited in silence, looking at him expectantly._

 _"Well, I," Zuko just couldn't seem to get a handle on his words, and Katara couldn't get over how oddly cute it was._

 _"IthinkIlikeyou."_

 _Zuko spoke very fast, still looking down with an unmistakable blush on cheeks._

 _"What?" Katara rubbed a finger in her ear, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows._

 _"I," Zuko sighed, finally looking at her and making eye contact. "Katara, I think I like you. Actually, I_ know _I like you. A lot."_

 _Katara froze, her eyes growing wide as she stared back at him._

 _He liked her?_

 _She mentally slapped herself for being so stupid; of_ course _he liked her. Why else would they be kissing every night? She had never thought about it, never thought the situation through. Never thought what would come of this whole situation, this little affair._

 _Affair._

 _Katara's gut twisted uneasily, thinking about what this truly was. She was sneaking behind Aang's back, kissing Zuko and meeting up with him in secret. She wasn't sure what was keeping her coming back. Lust? True feelings? She did know, however, that it wasn't fair to Aang._

 _"Well?" Zuko asked after a few moments, his patience obviously wearing thin. "Are you going to say something?"_

 _"What about Mai?" Katara spit out without thinking._

 _"She is no longer interested in me," Zuko replied, looking down at his hands. "She saved me when I went to help your brother break your dad out of prison, but I'm pretty sure she is still mad at me."_

 _"Zuko, I-"_

 _It was Katara's turn to be at a loss for words, pulling on her hair anxiously as she looked away from him._

 _"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara just couldn't look Zuko in the eyes when she said it. "I….we can't do this anymore. I won't do that to Aang, and you don't know that Mai's uninterested. If she saved you, that's got to count for something right?"_

 _Zuko said nothing, and after a moment Katara found the courage to look at him once more._

 _"So this is it then, huh?" Zuko's voice was soft, but she could hear the boiling anger underneath._

 _"Zuko, I can't do this to Aang," Katara pleaded. "Please, try to understand-"_

 _"Oh, I understand perfectly," Zuko kept his tone level, but Katara wasn't fooled. "There was never going to be anything more than this. We were just messing around, just meeting for fun; sort of like a game-"_

 _"No, not a game, Zuko. I never thought of it like that, I-"_

 _"Then what was it, Katara?" Zuko was furious now, his fists clenched as he jumped up on his feet. "Tell me what this was, because to me, it sounds like it was nothing to you!"_

 _"I never said that!" Katara matched Zuko's fury, pulling herself on her feet as well. "You_ know _we can't do this! We can't do this to the ones we love, not this close to the final battle!"_

 _Katara calmed slightly, her eyes watering._

 _"This would destroy Aang if he found out," she whispered, letting the tears slip down her cheeks._

 _"Don't worry Katara, it'll be our little secret," Zuko reassured, his sweet tone false as he glared at her. "We wouldn't want to hurt your precious Aang."_

 _"Don't be like that-"_

 _Zuko walked closer to her, and she stopped at the intense gaze he was giving her._

 _"I'll keep it a secret," Zuko whispered, his eyes still locked with hers. "But don't you dare act like you don't have the same feelings for me. It's all about your choices, Katara. And it looks like you've just made yours."_

Katara's eyes came back into focus, and she met Zuko's furious eyes once more.

"Zuko, I'm sorry, I-" Katara whispered, lowering her head in shame.

"Save it," Zuko snapped at her, backing away from her. "It's a little late for that."

With that, Zuko whipped around, storming away and leaving Katara to cry alone.

 **A/N: Reviews? *puppy dog face***


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter is a little bit longer as well, but not nearly as long as chapter 6 haha. This chapter was a bit awkward to write because I had to combine two chapters for better flow and it is a lot of scene changing. I tried to make the transitions as smooth as butter, but if it feels more like a trainwreck, please don't hesitate to let me know!**

Katara sank to her knees, ignoring the sharp pain as the stone dug into her bare skin. She could hear the faint music and clapping going on, but it felt a million miles away to her. She let out a sob, watching her tears drop onto the ground she was staring at.

She had never meant for any of this to happen.

Didn't Zuko see that it was better this way? He was supposed to be with Mai, and she was supposed to be with Aang. It was the natural order of things, and like he said, they had already made their choices. What did he expect her to do? Just leave Aang and go back to him, force him to give up Mai? Katara's heart skipped a beat at the idea and she clenched her eyes shut, ashamed of her reaction. The idea shouldn't be appealing to her, but she couldn't stop the little voice in the back of her head.

 _But you could have Zuko,_ it hissed enticingly. _You would finally have what you always wanted._

Katara's eyes widened, and she sat up a little straighter. What she had always wanted? What was _that_ supposed to mean?

Realizing she was having an argument with herself, Katara clenched her hair at the roots in frustration. She shot to her feet, beginning to pace back and forth. She was so conflicted, and it painfully reminded her that this wasn't the first time she had felt this way.

 _The gang filed into the crowded theatre, and Katara was surprised by their seat choices; they were so far up. She was avoiding Zuko, trying to keep between Aang and Toph so there would be no empty seats on either side of her. He had been snippy with her all day, but she knew why. It had only been a couple days since he had admitted his feelings for her; since she had rejected him._

 _Katara pushed the uncomfortable thoughts out of her head, turning to sit down on the bench next to Toph. With the smooth skills of a ninja, Katara watched as Zuko quickly squeezed his way in between her and Aang. She tried to stay looking ahead, pretending she didn't notice, but couldn't ignore Aang speaking up._

 _"Hey, uh," Aang sounded awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to sit there."_

 _Katara looked at him in surprise; it wasn't like Aang to be so forward._

 _"Just sit next to me," Zuko snapped back. "What's the big deal?"_

 _Katara looked straight ahead again, an uncomfortable sweat forming on her forehead. Was Zuko really going to do this?_

 _"I was just-I wanted to-" Aang seemed to lose his nerve, sitting next to Zuko instead. "Okay."_

 _Katara knew what Zuko was doing, and gave him a pointed glare when Aang wasn't looking. Zuko met her eyes for just a second, but quickly looked away._

 _The play began, and Katara was immediately annoyed with the woman who was playing her; she did_ not _sound like that. While Katara fumed, listening to Toph's hysterical laughs next to her, she started to wonder why they had even bothered to attend this play._

 _When Zuko came onto the stage however, she couldn't help but laugh._

 _"They make me look totally stiff and humorless," Zuko complained, scowling with his arms crossed._

 _"Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot-on," Katara teased, a smirk on her face._

 _"How could you say that?" Zuko responded with irritation, glaring at her._

 _Katara giggled, but quickly stopped. The tension hung in the air and they kept eye contact for a second longer before her cheeks turned pink and she looked away. It was the first positive interaction they had had since the other night and it made her stomach do flips._

 _As the play went on, Katara agreed with everyone else that it was just terrible. Well everyone besides Toph that is; she was having the time of her life._

 _"I have to admit, Prince Zuko, I_ really _find you attractive."_

 _Katara's ears perked up, her face instantly growing hot as she watched the girl on stage._

 _"You don't have to make fun of me," Zuko's actor answered, and Katara started to become uneasy._

 _"But I mean it," the actress swooned. "I've had eyes for you since the moment you captured me."_

 _Katara glanced embarrassingly at Zuko, more worries than one running through her mind. They scooted awkwardly away from each other, Katara wishing she was anywhere but there._

 _"Wait! I thought you were the Avatar's girl!"_

 _Katara cringed; was this still going on? The actress laughed, and Katara felt her stomach sink._

 _"The Avatar? Why he's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way."_

 _Katara made another daring glance at Zuko, who she could've sworn was grinning, if only slightly._

 _"Besides, how could he ever find out about_ this _?"_

 _Katara watched in horror as the two hugged, holding hands and looking out to the audience. How much research had this play writer done? Did he_ know _? Her heart rate accelerated and she looked at Zuko again, whose eyes were wide with surprise, all semblance of a smile gone. They had been so undercover all the times they had met, well hidden from everyone. After all, they were all in hiding from the Fire Lord. So there was no way anyone could find out…right?_

 _Katara watched Aang stand suddenly, leaving the theatre while Sokka called his food order behind him._

 _When the next intermission hit, Katara knew she needed to find Aang. She found him outside on a covered deck, looking out on the water ahead. She suddenly felt awkward, standing behind him with her arms crossed._

 _"Are you alright?" she asked, already knowing the answer to the question._

 _"No, I'm not," Aang replied, ripping his hat off his head. "I hate this play."_

 _Katara watched his hat fall to the ground._

 _"I know it may seem upsetting, but I think you may be overreacting," Katara tried to reason with him, walking closer so that she joined him at the railing._

 _"Overreacting?!" Aang was furious, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. "If I hadn't blocked my chakra I would probably be in the Avatar state right now!"_

 _They stood in silence for a few minutes, both at a loss for words._

 _"Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?" Aang broke the quiet, turning to look at her._

 _"In where?" Katara suddenly felt nervous, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible. "What are you talking about?"_

 _"On stage, when you said I was just like a brother to you, and you said you didn't have feelings for me."_

 _Katara couldn't help but let out a subtle sigh of relief; apparently Aang hadn't acknowledged the Zuko aspect of that scene._

 _"I didn't say that, an actor said that," Katara reasoned, trying to comfort him._

 _"But it's true isn't it?" Aang looked down sadly. "We kissed at the invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together, but we're not."_

 _"Aang," Katara hesitated, looking away from him. "I don't know…"_

 _"Why don't you know?" Aang sounded frustrated now._

 _"Because we're in the middle of a war," Katara answered, trying to convince herself this was the only reason. "and we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time."_

 _"Well, when_ is _the right time?" Aang pushed, and Katara felt as if she was being backed into a corner._

 _"Aang, I'm sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused," she yanked on her hair, not able to meet his gaze._

 _She just couldn't figure out what she wanted; if she still wanted to be with Aang._

 _She was caught off-guard when his lips pressed quickly onto hers. It was a bit awkward as Katara was startled, but nonetheless her stomach filled with butterflies. She pulled away with a small gasp, putting her fingers to her lips. Was that what she wanted? Did she enjoy that as much as she enjoyed Zuko?_

 _"I just said I was confused!" she snapped at him, more frustrated with herself than Aang._

 _When he just looked at her, she found she couldn't be with him any longer._

 _"I'm going inside."_

 _With that she turned and ran from Aang's dejected look._

Katara shook her head, letting her face fall into the palms of her hands.

 _I guess some things never change_ , she thought sadly.

With pressure in her chest and tears still in her eyes, she made her way slowly back to the palace.

* * *

Zuko made his way down to the dining hall, knowing he was expected for breakfast. He was not over last night, anger still pulsing through his veins. Why did Katara always have to be so difficult? She couldn't just show up here four years later and expect them to become best friends again. Was she crazy?

"I don't know, Aang, ok?"

Zuko froze right before rounding a corner at the sound of Katara's voice. She sounded very stressed, and he put his back against the wall, craning his neck to see where she was. Aang and Katara were in the courtyard right outside the hallway, and he could easily see them through the wide gap in the pillars. Aang was pacing with his fist clenched tightly over his glider, while Katara stayed still, watching him.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Aang shot back. "You've been angry at me for weeks, heck, _months_! And you mean to tell me you 'don't know'?"

"I have _not_ been angry at you for months," Katara argued, crossing her arms over her chest.

Zuko couldn't keep the excitement contained enough not to let out a small smile. He felt horrible almost immediately afterwards. Shaking his head, the corners of his mouth turned down as he continued to listen.

"Oh really?" Aang stopped his pacing to turn completely and face her. "What about all the times you yelled at me for things I do every day, like _airbending_?"

"I wasn't mad at you for airbending, it was just starting to annoy me how-"

"Don't even get my started"-Aang interrupted her, beside himself with anger- "on how many times we've tried to have-"

"Aang!" she cut him off sharply, her eyes darting from side-to-side. "Do you have to yell that so loud?"

Zuko's eyebrows raised; that was an awfully bold statement from Aang. He watched as Katara's entire face turned bright red.

"Well, it's true," Aang snapped back, continuing his pacing again. "I mean Katara, you make me feel like you can't stand me anymore. How is it supposed to make me feel when we can't even-"

He cut himself off, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his glider so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Tell me what I did," his voice was quiet now, and he looked at her with pleading eyes. "I need to make this right. For me….for us."

Katara looked at a loss for words, her eyes wide. Zuko watched, holding his breath; he had never seen them fight before.

"Aang-I," Katara hesitated, her voice shaky. She lowered her head, her tone so low Zuko had to strain to hear it. "I don't know. I don't know what's wrong."

Aang stood there for a moment, just staring at her. When she wouldn't meet his eyes, he flicked his glider open.

"Let me know when you do," he all but whispered before taking off with a whoosh into the sky.

There was a moment of silence that passed, and Zuko watched as Katara stared up into the sky. He watched her sit slowly on a bench just beside her, putting her face in her hands. He saw her shoulders begin to shake, and knew she was crying. He felt a strong urge to come out from his hiding place, to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be ok. No matter how angry he got at her, he could never stand to see her sad. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he knew he couldn't. She would know he was listening, and he couldn't face the humiliation. Not to mention, he wasn't entirely sure she would want to see him right now anyway.

With quick and silent footsteps, Zuko ripped himself away, continuing down the hall to breakfast with an ache in his chest.

* * *

Azula let her lips collide with Chang's, and even through the bars she could angle her head just right to deepen the kiss. She watched his eyes slip closed but hers remained open, a slight smirk pulling on the corners of her lips. She had him wrapped around her finger.

She pulled away gently, and he backed up, opening his eyes very slowly.

"There's more where that came from, Chang," Azula whispered, a seductive gleam in her eye. "When we get through with this plan, you will be _heavily_ rewarded."

Chang was practically panting, his eyes growing wide.

"Whatever you say, Princess," he assured her. "What is the next phase of the plan?"

"Has the Dai Lee expanded its members?" she asked.

"Yes your highness."

"Good," she put her hands together. "I am just in need of one more task."

"Anything, Princess Azula."

"I need you to find Mai, find out what she is up to. I also need you to find Ty Lee."

"But Princess," Chang sounded surprised. "They have betrayed you! Of what use would they be?"

"I need them," Azula admitted, her gut wrenching at the very idea of needing anyone. "Well, I could use them at least. Besides, maybe they can be swayed to join me once more."

"And if they cannot?" Chang asked.

Azula smiled wickedly.

"Then you will kill them."

* * *

Zuko had finally made it to breakfast and an awkward silence grew slowly at the table. It was just Sokka, Suki and him, and Suki seemed to be spacey. Zuko was preoccupied with other thoughts as well, leaving Sokka the only one talking. He had talked for a while about his boomerang, then moved on to his excitement on how much happier the Fire Nation seemed. When he only got small acknowledgments from Suki and nothing from Zuko, Sokka seemed to become annoyed.

"Okay," he stood up, stretching his arms high above him. "I'm gonna go into town and see if I can find some more Fire Nation clothes. Do you want to come with me?"

"Yeah, of course," Suki seemed to be shaken out of her own thoughts, giving Sokka a small smile. "Just give me time to finish eating, I'll meet you there."

"Uh, okay," Sokka looked confused as to why she didn't want him to wait for her, but didn't question it.

After giving Suki a quick kiss goodbye, Sokka left the room.

Zuko thought for sure it was going to be awkward with just Suki and him in there, however he was pleasantly surprised to find it was not. Suki was staring off into space, not at all concerned with what Zuko was doing. He was left alone with his thoughts, which is exactly what he preferred.

He thought about Mai again, wondering when she was going to finally talk to him again. It had now been several days since the last time he had seen her, or even heard from her. He didn't understand why she couldn't at least answer his small messages, even if she didn't want to see him. He really wanted to make it work between them; at least he tried to convince himself he did.

Zuko was ripped out of his own thoughts by one of the kitchen servants.

"Is the Fire Lord finished with his breakfast?" the man asked politely.

Zuko gave him a curt nod, and the man smiled back before whisking the mostly full plate out of Zuko's sight. He watched as the man went over to ask Suki. She just gave him a nod as well, but never took her eyes off the wall in front of her. Zuko surprised himself when he realized he was little concerned; what was wrong with her?

"Are you sick?" Zuko asked lamely, not sure what else to say to this quiet girl sitting in front of him.

"What?" she asked, looking shocked as she turned to meet Zuko's questioning eyes. "Why would you ask that? Do I look sick?"

"No, no!" Zuko back-tracked, shaking his head furiously. "You just seem…distracted."

Zuko suddenly wondered why he had spoken up in the first place; he wasn't good with this sort of thing.

"I am," her voice was soft, a hint of sadness laced in as she looked down at her hands.

He didn't know how to respond, so he just sat in silence wondering if she was going to say anything else.

"I'm very distracted," Suki reiterated, still looking down into her lap. "And I'm honestly not sure what to do."

"About what?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrows at her cryptic words.

She looked up, her eyes filled with tears. Zuko was startled, and his eyes widened; this was definitely way more awkward than what he bargained for.

"Zuko, I'm-"

Suki stopped, placing a gentle hand on her stomach.

"I'm pregnant."

 **A/N: Dun Dun Dun! I'm sure some of you already saw this coming, I've been trying to drop subtle hints since the beginning of the story. Nonetheless, I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but like I said, I'm kind of a sucker for them! Anyway, please review and thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok don't kill me, but this chapter doesn't have any Zutara in it. It's a filler, but an important one for the story on different characters. Let me know how you like it!**

Mai ran as fast as she could, her racing heart loud in her ears.

"Get her!" a man yelled behind her. "Hurry, she's fast!"

Mai flicked out a double-bladed knife from her sleeve, whipping it behind her with practiced precision. She glanced around her shoulder, slowing down only slightly to see the knife slide across the man's neck, right at the jugular vein. He fell to the ground with a loud cry, his hands immediately clasping over the deep wound. The other man clad in matching forest green armor, came to a halt when he saw the amount of blood that was sliding between the man's fingers.

"Kahn!" He yelled, crouching down to inspect the injury.

 _Fools_ , Mai thought with a smirk, another knife sliding into her palm.

She thrust it behind her with a dramatic swing of her arm, now coming to a complete stop. The uninjured man looked up in alarm at her movement, seeming to forget she was there. His eyes widened when the knife cut him across his outstretched arm, slicing his wrist deeply.

"Ah!" he cried in horror, gripping his wrist as the blood trickled through his fingers and dripped onto the ground.

Once Mai knew they would not be running after her, she turned and bolted as fast as she could. What had they wanted with her? What purpose could she serve?

What did they mean by "secret mission"?

She hopped a large wall at the back of the palace, pulling herself over the structure with ease. It was the familiar path to her best friend's house; the only one who had truly always been there for her. Her footsteps were silent despite being so quick as she made her way down the empty streets. It was the dead of the night and most of the town was asleep.

She approached an elaborate stone house, looking just the same as any other building in the fire nation. She approached its golden door, but thought better of it when she reminded herself what time of day it was. She crept on the side of the house, careful not to make a sound. When she approached the window she needed, she slid out a small pocket knife and slid it under the seam of the window. She wiggled the blade until she heard a faint click, unlocking the window and slowly pushing it open.

"Hey!" Ty Lee yelled, jumping out of bed, ready to attack.

"It's just me," Mai drawled, though her tone wasn't as lazy as it normally would be.

"Mai!" Ty Lee was surprised, but relaxed her position. "I didn't know you were coming tonight! I would've left the door unlocked for you!"

"I wasn't intending to," Mai replied, her tone becoming urgent. "Listen, Ty Lee, we can't stay here. We're in danger."

"Danger?" Ty Lee cocked her head to the side, her round eyes looking confused. "From what?"

"I was taking a walk, trying to clear my mind," Mai began, her voice hushed. "When two members of the Dai Lee came up to me. They asked me if I would be willing to join Azula on a 'secret mission'."

"A secret mission?" Ty Lee's eyes grew wide. "What is she plotting?"

"I don't know," Mai replied. "When I told them I wasn't interested, they ganged up on me. They told me I was going to regret my decision."

Ty Lee gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.

"What does that mean?" she asked, lowering her hands slowly. "You don't think they were going to…?"

"Kill me?" Mai answered with a smirk. "I'm sure that was what they were ordered to do."

They both stared at one another for a moment, knowing this was bad. If Azula was plotting something, it would be strategic….and evil.

"What do we do?" Ty Lee asked quietly, breaking the silence between them.

"We find out what she's plotting," Mai replied. "But we can't do that now."

"Then what _can_ we do now?" Ty Lee asked.

"Now?" Mai moved to the window, her tone somber. "We have to run."

* * *

Zuko's mouth hung open; he was _not_ expecting that. He knew he should be saying something right now. Anything but staring at her with his jaw almost to the floor.

"I know," Suki said with a sigh. "That was my reaction too."

"Uh…" Zuko finally closed his mouth, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Congratulations?"

"Congratulations?" Suki repeated, her tone angry as she looked at Zuko with tearful eyes. "I'm pregnant out of wed-lock! I'm not ready for a baby! Sokka _definitely_ isn't ready for a baby!"

Zuko's eyes widened, unable to come up with anything to say. Suki hung her head, her hair falling in front of her face as her shoulders shook with sobs.

"I h-had my suspicions," she explained, still looking at her lap. "Being hungry and then nauseous. The mood swings, the weight gain."

Zuko continued to listen in silence, unsure why Suki was telling _him_ of all people this information.

"But I had to know for sure," she went on. "So I went to a healer in town in the middle of the night. I guess she felt sorry for me, because she didn't charge me anything. Once she told me I was pregnant…I just broke down crying."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Zuko was proud of himself for finally finding something to say. "You and Sokka will be great parents."

"Really?" Suki sounded hopeful, looking up at Zuko with desperate eyes. "How so?"

"Well," he hadn't thought this far ahead. "You guys-uh-"

There was a sudden commotion going on outside the door. Zuko and Suki both looked up, and Zuko was grateful the conversation had come to an end.

"I _know_ it's Sparky in there," Zuko knew that voice all too well. "I don't care if he's eating, I want to say hello!"

There was an unnerving bang, and the metal doors to the dining hall were thrown open. Toph stood there fists clenched in anger as a nervous Haru hurried in after her.

"I'm sorry sir," Haru apologized, turning around to help the guard to his feet. "She can get a little bit of a temper sometimes."

"Sparky!" Toph ignored him, running to Zuko and wrapping her arms around him in an uncharacteristic and tight hug; _really_ tight.

"Hey-Toph-" his voice strained as he struggled to breathe in her vice-like grip.

"How've ya been buddy?" she asked, breaking the hug and looking at him with unseeing eyes.

She punched him hard on the arm, a broad grin on her face before turning to Suki. Zuko scowled, rubbing the spot she had hit. Toph had grown only about 6 inches taller, so she was still pretty short. Her hair was tied up in its usual style, bangs hanging in her more matured face. If Zuko couldn't see the obvious changes that had developed underneath her clothes, she probably wouldn't have looked any different.

"Suki!" she exclaimed, before stiffening, her eyes growing wide. "Um, why do you have _two_ heartbeats?"

Suki's face turned bright red.

"You're having a baby?" Toph asked in surprise, a wide grin on her face. "Congratu-!"

"Shhh," Suki hurriedly put her hand over Toph's mouth, her eyes darting from side to side. "I haven't exactly told Sokka yet…"

"Oh-ho wow!" Toph let out an amused laugh, moving Suki's hand away. "Geez, I've missed a lot."

Haru came into the room, smiling at all of them.

"Hello, it's nice to see everyone again."

Toph punched him hard on the upper-arm, and he punched her very lightly back. She smiled up at him, and Zuko was surprised by the amount of affection that was glowing in her eyes. Were they-?

"Haru's my boyfriend now," Toph said with a shrug, as if reading Zuko's mind.

Haru blushed and smiled while Toph stood up a little straighter to "look" around the room.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Sokka went to go get some more clothes," Suki answered. "And the last time I saw Katara, she was getting ready in the bathroom. She told me she would see me at breakfast, but she never came."

"Ok…." Toph looked even more confused. "But where's Twinkle Toes?"

* * *

Aang landed with a soft gust of wind on the stone ground. Crouched in a defeated stance, he walked slowly down the bustling streets. No one seemed to notice him, and he preferred it that way as he wanted to stay in his own head.

What had he done to Katara to deserve this? He had always been there for her, always tried to do anything she asked him to do. He knew that they fought sometimes-well lately a lot- but he also knew they were meant to be.

Right?

"Kuzon?"

Aang froze, turning around to see a brunette girl with wide questioning eyes staring at him. Kuzon? Why would she think he was-?

He suddenly remembered; that was the name he had used in the Fire Nation school all those years ago. His eyes grew wide- if she thought his name was Kuzon than this must be-

"On-Ji?"

She giggled, smiling warmly at him.

"It's been a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Aang breathed, taking in her appearance. "Yeah it has."

She had grown taller, but was not nearly as tall as he was. Her hair was long, almost to the middle of her back, stick straight and flowy. Her eyes were still as big as the day he met her, with a cute nose and full lips to go with it. She was thin, but had slight curves to her body that showed she wasn't a little girl anymore.

She seemed to be looking at him as well, and she blushed when they met eyes.

"You got," she hesitated, motioning with a wave of her hand at his body. "Tall."

"Yeah," Aang felt his own face growing hot as he looked away. "You too."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

"Did you want to come with me to the market?" On-Ji asked, finally making eye contact with Aang again. "I was just headed there to get the ingredients for vegetable stir fry."

"Vegetable stir fry!" Aang's ears perked up. "Sure! I'll come if I can have some!"

On-Ji laughed out loud, motioning for him to follow her as she made her way down the street.

* * *

"So _you're_ the Avatar, huh?" On-Ji asked, looking at Aang's forehead. "I don't know how I didn't notice that bright blue arrow on your forehead the second I saw you."

"It's ok," Aang laughed, running a hand through his hair. "I actually have hair now, and it's getting kind of long. It might've been covering it up."

They were sitting on the ledge of a fountain, bowls of stir fry in their hands as they used chopsticks to eat. The amount of people on the streets had dwindled to barely anybody, only the occasional person walking by them. The sun was setting now, and Aang marveled at how beautiful On-Ji's brown eyes looked in the orange and pink glow of the light.

"You've gotten really pretty," Aang blurted out without thinking, an angry blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I mean, not that you weren't already, but-"

"It's okay Aang," she placed a hand on his. "I know what you mean. You've become very handsome as well."

They continued eating, content in the unspoken words between them as they watched the setting sun.

"So the man who saved the world," On-Ji broke the silence, putting her empty bowl down next to her. "And you're only sixteen! What have you been doing now?"

"Well at first I visited all the nations," Aang answered, setting his bowl down as well. "I wanted to tell them all that there was no need to fear any longer, that Fire Lord Ozai had fallen. I wanted to give the people hope again."

On-Ji squeezed his hand, and Aang felt a small warmth grow in his chest.

"What did you do after that?" she asked, clearly interested.

"Well after that, I settled down in the South Pole," Aang continued. "I started trying to live a normal life with my friends Sokka and Suki, and Katara, my girlfriend."

On-Ji's eyes widened at the word "girlfriend" and quickly took her hand off of Aang's.

"Maybe I should go…"she trailed off, moving to pick up her bowl.

"No!" Aang grabbed her hand, and she whipped around to look at him. "Please don't go. I was having a good time."

She softened, settling back into a more comfortable position.

"So what brought you into town all alone this morning?" she asked, and Aang looked away with a frown.

"I got angry," he replied softly, looking down at the ground.

"What happened?"

"It's just Katara! She's so-" Aang took a deep breath, meeting the concerned look on On-Ji's face. "We're just going through a hard time right now."

"I'm sorry," On-Ji watched him, not wanting to push the issue.

"She just doesn't act the same with me anymore," Aang admitted, needing to get his frustrations off his chest. "When we first got together, we were so close. We had just saved the world, we were visiting the nations, and everything was great."

He looked down at his hands, a painful clench in his chest.

"But then things started to change. When we got back to the South Pole, Katara was less lively. When we spent time together, it wasn't nearly as fun as it used to be. She always seemed a million miles away, in her own head. She never wanted to do anything anymore, never wanted to be with _me_ anymore…"

On-Ji put her hand on Aang's again, her eyes searching.

"Aang, sometimes people change," she said softly. "Sometimes…things just happen that they can't explain. Katara is that girl you danced with at our dance party so long ago isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"She's beautiful," On-Ji complimented, with a small hint of something Aang couldn't pick up in her tone. " _Really_ beautiful. But Aang….that was a long time ago."

"It doesn't matter," Aang felt himself growing frustrated. "We always said we would be together after the war. She wanted to wait, and even though _I_ didn't get it, I waited for her. So when the war ended we kissed and…"

Aang hung his head, forehead resting in the palms of his hands.

"I thought we were going to be together forever."

"She wanted to wait?" On-Ji asked curiously. "Did she say why?"

"Well, she said we had more important things to worry about. She said that she was just feeling a little confused about the whole thing."

"Confused?" On-Ji sounded skeptical. "Confused about what? Liking you?"

"What? No!" Aang insisted, though his stomach did an uncomfortable flip. "No! She was just confused about the war, and I guess whether we should be in a relationship with all of that going on."

"If you say so," On-Ji replied, clearly not convinced.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aang snapped, turning to look at her. "Are you saying that Katara never really had feelings for me to begin with?"

"No," On-Ji put her hands up, eyes growing wide at Aang's tone. "I'm sure she did. I'm just saying, when a girl knows, she knows. It just sounds like she was struggling with something she wasn't telling you."

Aang took a moment to ponder this, his mind going in so many directions he could hardly keep up. Had Katara been lying this whole time? Did she love him as much as he thought? Was there something going on that she didn't want to tell him? Why?

Aang took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.

"Hey," On-Ji said softly, coming closer to Aang's face and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Did you want to come to my house? My parents won't be home until tomorrow, and I was thinking of having some tea. I'd love the company."

Aang's eyes widened. Tea? Alone? He felt a rushing sensation in his chest, a new excited static that hadn't been there in a while. He stared into her eyes, now glowing in the moonlight. He glanced down at her lips, then slid down her body as he realized how close she was to him.

Ignoring the pang of guilt that was nagging at the back of his head, he nodded and followed her to her house.

 **A/N: I actually had more fun writing these scenes than I originally thought. Btw, I know it was little confusing for me to put that line in between the Aang and On-Ji scene, but this Doc Manager thing won't let me put spaces or little *** to show time going by, so that was the only thing I could think to do. If anyone knows how to fix this, don't hesitate to PM me lol! Thank you so much for all the feedback I've gotten so far! It encourages me so much! Please review :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** **Alright guys...this is kind of the turning point of the story. I am a little nervous about this one, but I also think I'm my own biggest critic. I hope you like reading this as much as I liked writing it!**

 **P.S. Shoutout to airichan623, who helped me with the spelling of On-Ji. I went through and changed it in the chapter, thank you so much!**

"I pretty much _knew_ he was staring at me. So of course I had to ask him what he wanted."

They were all gathered in the living area where they were staying in the palace. Toph was sitting with Haru, his arm around her as she told the story of how they met. Suki had gone to bed early, so it was just the couple and Katara with Sokka.

"Asked?" Haru laughed. "More like screamed. Don't forget when you trapped me in mud."

"You're an _earthbender_ ," Toph argued, though she was smiling. "You could've freed yourself. Besides, no one sneaks up on me."

"After that, we started hanging out all the time," she continued, before elbowing Haru in the ribs. "Then this _loser_ here gets all mushy on me and asks me to be his girlfriend. So I figured I'd give it a try."

Haru rolled his eyes before shaking his head and smiling at her. Katara's heart warmed; she was glad Toph had found someone who understood her sense of humor and less than affectionate attitude.

"So what have you guys been up to?" Toph asked.

"Eh," Sokka shrugged, his tone bored. "Nothing as exciting as when we saved the world."

"You've got that right! Though this one time…"

Katara let her mind wander, completely tuning out their conversation. Watching Haru with Toph left an aching sensation in her chest. Aang was mad at her, and she couldn't fix what had happened. She couldn't change the past, and doubted she would be able to fix the future.

For the first time, Katara was starting to realize she might've made a mistake.

She knew now that she should've never committed to Aang when she didn't know how she felt. She shouldn't have snuck around with Zuko without looking at her true intentions. She never should've let Zuko kiss her, should've never met up with him in the first place.

But that was then, and this was now.

"What's up with you, Sugar Queen?" Toph broke Katara's thoughts. "You not excited to see me?"

"What?" Katara sounded surprised. "No! No…I've just- I've got a lot on my mind. I think I'm actually going to go take a walk."

Katara stood quickly, blushing as she realized Haru and Sokka were staring at her. After a moment of awkward silence, Sokka turned back to talk to the couple.

"Haru, have you heard the story about when Toph saved us with her metal-bending?" he asked excitedly.

Katara slipped quietly out of the room, a faint click behind her as the door closed.

* * *

Zuko felt as if the walls of his bedroom were caving in on him. No matter how large the room truly was, he couldn't just pace in there staring at his four-poster bed any longer. He had to get some air.

He stepped out into the empty hallways, knowing most of the servants had retired for the night; he always let them go home at sunset. He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, beginning to walk slowly. His footsteps were light as he let his brain ponder over the million things in his head.

He hadn't heard from Mai in now, almost a week. He knew she was mad, but he was truly beginning to worry. Was she in trouble? Or hurt? Surely somebody would have contacted him, right? With a sinking feeling in his stomach he realized she may not even be staying in the palace anymore; none of the servants had seen her.

Shaking these thoughts from his head, he thought about Katara. There it was again, that deep ache in his chest when he thought about her. She had already been invading his thoughts when she _wasn't_ here, and now she was in his presence every day. Beautiful, with her bright blue eyes and long brown hair. Zuko couldn't forget the curves she had developed, with her wider hips and bigger chest. A deep animalistic side of him wanted to know what she looked like underneath, although the Fire Nation clothes didn't leave much to the imagination.

Zuko groaned internally, trying to think of anything to keep himself from a very uncomfortable situation. This is what she did to him! After everything they had been through, after she hurt him as bad as she did-

Part of Zuko wished she had never come at all.

 _"Sooo have_ you _ever redirected lightening?"_

 _They were outside in the courtyard, and Zuko was having another training session with Aang. He noticed Katara watching them, like she did every time they practiced. He didn't understand why she always had to be there; like she was taunting him. Aang was watching Zuko demonstrate the form his uncle had taught him on how to let the energy flow through his body._

" _Once," he answered Aang, still demonstrating and trying not to meet Katara's eyes. "Against my father."_

" _What did it feel like?" Aang looked excited, as if this_ wasn't _something to be taken seriously._

 _Zuko let out a deep breath before answering, "Exhilarating….but terrifying."_

 _Aang's anxious look dropped to a worried frown._

" _You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body," Zuko continued, watching Aang's excitement deflate like a popped balloon. "But you know if you make the wrong move, it's over."_

" _Well, I mean not over, over," Aang laughed nervously, but Zuko wasn't amused. "There's always a little Katara and spirit water action, am I right?"_

" _Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you," Katara spoke for the first time. He could see her looking at him when Aang turned away out of his peripheral vision, but Zuko refused to meet her gaze. Did she have to keep staring at him?_

" _Oh," Aang looked disappointed; why was he so against killing Zuko's father?_

" _You'll have to take the Fire Lord's life," Zuko met Aang's eyes, letting him know that this was very serious. "Before he takes yours."_

 _Zuko watched Aang cringe; was he surprised by this? Did he not understand what he was up against?_

" _Yeah…"Aang trailed off, sounding unsure. "I'll just do that."_

 _Zuko walked away, having nothing else to say to Aang. What was he expecting? That he could just have a nice chat with his father? That he could just convince him that violence wasn't the answer?_

 _Aang would be burned to a crisp._

 _Zuko heard light footsteps following behind him, and he squeezed his eyes shut with an annoyed sigh._

" _Zuko, stop," Katara called, but Zuko didn't slow down._

" _What do you want, Katara?" he shot angrily, not even turning around to glance at her._

" _I want to talk to you," she replied hotly, a hint of annoyance in her tone._

" _What could you possibly have to talk to me about?" Zuko halted, spinning around to look at her._

" _You're mad at me, I know," Katara's voice softened as she stopped in front of him. "But just…try to understand…"_

" _Understand what, Katara?" Zuko was getting angry, a fire building deep in his chest. "There's nothing to discuss. You kissed me, I kissed you back. We met up behind Aang's back, but I thought it was because you wanted to be with me instead. Turns out, you were just lying to both of us."_

 _Katara's eyes widened in shock before he saw them start to water._

" _Zuko, I," Katara was struggling for words. "I never meant to- I mean, I didn't-"_

" _But then of course, I should've known you would choose Aang over me," Zuko added darkly, looking away from her face and clenching his fists. "He_ is _the goody-goody after all."_

" _I never said any of that!" Katara's spirit was back again, and she raised her voice while glaring at him. "You can't put words in my mouth! I'm just…a little confused."_

" _Confused about_ what, _Katara?" Zuko asked, taking a step closer to her. "About your feelings for me? Did you ever have any to begin with?"_

" _I-!" Katara answered quickly, and Zuko's heart quickened. "I don't know, okay?"_

" _Gah!" Zuko gripped his hair angrily, trying very hard not to blast fire out his mouth. "Why do you have to make everything so complicated?!"_

 _Katara was at a loss for words, and Zuko took a calming breath, keeping his eyes closed._

" _Zuko," Katara whispered, putting a hand gently on the side of his face. "I'm sorry- I-"_

 _Zuko ripped himself away from her touch with an ache in his chest, before opening his eyes slowly to meet her surprised ones._

 _"Let me know when you've figured out what you want," he muttered darkly before turning his back on her._

* * *

Katara didn't know her way well around the palace, but she figured anywhere was better than being cooped up in that living room. She felt as if there was a rock in her stomach; the guilt and anger were overwhelming.

What had she been thinking?

Why had she let Zuko kiss her all those years ago? Why did she kiss him a second time, and why didn't she ever really look at what she was doing? Why did she continue to meet up with him, stay up all those nights, and sit with him for hours? Why did she let that happen? Katara's heart clenched, because deep down she knew exactly why she did.

She just didn't want to admit it.

She continued pacing the hallways, making random turns without ever looking up from her feet. She wondered where Aang was, a sinking feeling in her stomach when she remembered the last time they had spoken. Aang was angry; really angry, and she hadn't known what to say. What _could_ she say? That she was sorry for the way she had been acting? She had done that a thousand times. That she was confused about the way she felt about him now? That would only hurt him more.

Katara sighed; she had always hated fighting with the ones she loved.

" _I'm gonna check the beach just one more time," Suki told Katara as they made their way to the front door of the Ember Island house. "I just….have to be sure he's not here."_

 _They had just left the town, still no sign of Aang, who had gone missing that morning._

" _Take me with you!" Toph called, walking with Zuko across from them, waving her arms frantically._

 _As they approached, Katara noticed her and Zuko looked annoyed._

" _Turns out Sparky's not interested in giving_ me _a fun field trip," Toph griped as they got closer, scowling at the ground._

 _Zuko said nothing to this, just rolled his eyes with a shake of his head._

" _I could actually use you, Toph," Suki remarked, raising an eyebrow. "You're sand-bending would definitely make the search a lot faster."_

 _They walked away together, leaving Zuko and Katara in an awkward silence._

" _We'll find him," Zuko reassured her softly, as if reading her mind. "He wouldn't just disappear like that on purpose."_

" _You shouldn't have let him go!" Katara snapped, rage getting the better of her._

" _Me?!" Zuko snapped, his eyes widening. "I didn't do anything!"_

" _You told me to let him go," Katara explained angrily, crossing her arms. "You told me to let him go so he could work it out himself and now he's gone! If you would've just let me follow him-"_

" _Katara, I have_ nothing _to do with this," Zuko was trying to reason with her, but she could hear his own anger nearing the surface. "Besides, you don't need to be with Aang for every second of his life!"_

 _Katara's jaw dropped, her cheeks turning red as she let her arms down at her sides with clenched fists. She stepped slowly closer to him, her glare murderous._

" _You mean to tell me," she said slowly, her tone menacing as she looked him straight in the eyes. "That you didn't let me go comfort Aang because you were JEALOUS?!"_

 _On that last word her voice raised, and her nose was practically touching his._

" _Jealous?!" Zuko was instantly defensive, his own cheeks flushing as he stood a little taller. "I am_ not _jealous. If you want Mr. Twinkle-Toes, I'm not going to stop you!"_

 _Katara scoffed at his adoption of Toph's nickname._

" _I should've known," she muttered quietly. "I should've known you hadn't changed. You still don't care about anyone but yourself."_

 _Zuko's eyes widened, but before he could add anything else she spun on her heel and stormed off._

Katara shook her head furiously, her heart hammering in her chest. She was so stupid; how could she have hurt Zuko so many times in a row?

She turned a corner and let out a yelp, slamming into a warm body she hadn't seen. She stumbled back, and after regaining her balance, looked up to see who it was.

"Zuko!" she exclaimed, unannounced butterflies filling her stomach.

"Uh, hey Katara," Zuko seemed awkward, rubbing the back of his neck without meeting her eyes.

There was an awkward moment of silence before they both spoke up at the same time.

"Katara, we-"

"Zuko, I-"

"Go ahead," Zuko motioned at her to continue. "You go first."

"Zuko," Katara took a deep breath, looking deep into his golden eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I never meant for this. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to hurt you."

"It's okay-" Zuko began.

"No!" Katara exclaimed, then lowered her voice, looking at her feet and pulling on a strand of hair. "No, Zuko, it's not okay. I never should've done what I did all those years ago. I never should've led you on, or messed with your head like that. I should've left well alone and just stayed with Aang."

There was nothing said, and after a moment she looked at Zuko, who was watching her with searching eyes.

"But is that what you wanted?" Zuko asked softly, breaking the tension. "To be with Aang?"

For the first time, Katara couldn't come up with the answer to this question. A year ago she would've been positive her answer was yes. But now? She wasn't so sure.

"I don't know," she admitted, a lump forming in her throat.

"Katara, there's a reason why you came and saw me all those times," Zuko insisted, taking a step closer. "I know it."

Katara kept her eyes on the ground, feeling his radiated heat due to the close proximity of their bodies.

"Katara," he repeated in a whisper, and she squeezed her eyes shut as another round of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. "I have a question."

She looked up, jumping when she saw how close his face was to hers. Her entire body was on high alert, with her heart pounding in her ears and her hands beginning to shake. Her stomach was doing flips and she could feel that desperate ache in her chest. That ache only _he_ seemed to bring.

"W-what is it?" she stuttered, keeping her eyes locked with his.

He took her hand in his, and she felt a warmth at his still-familiar touch.

"Did you have feelings for me all those years ago?" Zuko asked, and she could hear the desperation in his voice.

"Yes," Katara admitted in a hushed tone, letting her eyes drift to ground.

She could've sworn she could hear his heartbeat too as he gripped her hand a little tighter.

"And did they ever go away?" he whispered, so close now that she could feel his warm breath on her forehead.

Katara looked at him, her heart hammering as she took a deep breath.

"No."

 **A/N: I really hope this doesn't feel rushed. Please, please, please review! Feedback keeps me motivated, and I would love to know what everyone thinks of the turning point.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Well, I'm pretty excited for this chapter, and I had a lot of fun writing it! There are a lot of scene changes in this one, so I hope it does not become too confusing! Please let me know what you think!**

 **Oh and by the way, this chapter is officially where the reasoning for my M rating comes into play.**

Zuko's eyes widened, but he did not say a word, much to Katara's dismay. His breathing was a little labored, and it reminded her how very close they were.

The need inside her was intense, and she found herself swallowing hard as she let her eyes roam down his body. He was not in his usual royal Fire Nation clothes, but was just in a simple red tunic over dark gray pants, leaving less to the imagination. She could see the broadness of his shoulders and the strength that had developed in his arms. She moved her attention to his face, so close to hers that she could feel every heated exhale he let out. She avoided his eyes, staring at his parted lips. Her heart pounded in her chest, an almost magnetizing desperation pulling her closer to him.

Next thing she knew, she was kissing him-hard.

 _This._

This is what she needed, what she had _wanted_ for all these years. That rush that burst through her veins, that pushed every other thought from her brain.

She heard him gasp in surprise, but she barely acknowledged it as she immediately deepened the kiss. She took her hand out of his, gently resting them on his shoulders as she felt him begin to respond a little more strongly. He tilted his head to the side, both of his hands resting on her hips and pulling her a little closer. She let her hands wander down his upper arms, marveling at how she could feel every muscle. Another wave of desire washed over her as she let her hands drag down his sides, and flattened them on his stomach. She could feel the development of abs there, and felt an unhealthy need to take his clothes off right then and there.

She was caught off-guard when she felt his tongue slip out of his mouth with gentle practice, asking for access. When she opened her mouth for him, she shivered at the desperate moan that slipped from Zuko's throat. She felt his hands clench just a little tighter to her hips, slowly pushing her backwards. Her back gently hit the cold wall, and she grabbed a handful of fabric from his clothes, pulling him flush against her.

She could feel how hard he was, and it sent a jolt of electricity through her entire body. Almost shaky with need, she lifted her hips to meet his, hearing a satisfied groan vibrate in Zuko's throat. Katara slipped her fingers into his shaggy, soft hair, feeling his hands move up the curve of her hips and then slowly back down, keeping her skin underneath her clothes on fire.

"I'll just double check down these hallways, I think I can feel someone! You head upstairs."

They both froze, the sound of Toph's voice echoing down the hallway close to where they were. Katara felt her heart hammering, half from pleasure and half from fear of being caught. Zuko immediately backed off of her, never making eye contact, complete panic and shock written all over his face. Katara was trying to even out her breathing as she heard Toph coming closer.

"Sugar Queen?" Toph called as she approached their location. "I know you're there. Sparky, is that you too? Why are your heart beating so fast?"

"Hey Toph!" Katara's voice was an octave higher than it normally was, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. "I was just taking a walk and ran into Zuko a couple minutes ago."

When Zuko didn't say anything, that same look of disdain on his face, Katara gently elbowed him in the ribs. Although Toph wasn't watching with her eyes, Katara knew she could sense every move they were making, which made her all the more nervous.

"Uh, yeah," Zuko's tone was less than believable, a slight strain to his voice.

"Right…." Toph trailed off, a skeptical eyebrow raised as she turned her head between the two of them. "Well, I was trying to find you, Katara, because Sokka's freaking out. Like big time."

"About what?" Katara asked, immediately concerned as her eyes widened.

"You'll see," Toph smirked, motioning for her to follow. "Just come talk to him, he's losing his freaking mind."

Katara and Zuko followed her down the hallway, neither saying a word to each other. After a few moments, Katara finally got the nerve to look at Zuko. She felt a sharp twist in her chest at the look of pure regret on his face as he stared at his feet. Her eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed them shut while turning her head away from him.

What had they done?

* * *

"I had a really nice time with you tonight," On-Ji said softly, standing in the doorway at the front of her house.

Aang blushed, still standing on the top stair of her porch, not wanting to leave.

"I had a good time too," Aang admitted, smiling as he met her eyes. "Thanks for everything, On-Ji."

"Anytime, Aang," she whispered, leaning in and giving him a slow kiss on the cheek. "Just remember what I said. Don't do anything that's going to hurt you."

Aang lifted his hand to touch the spot she had kissed, his eyes wide. She gave him one last smile before entering the house, gently closing the door behind her. He let his hand drop slowly, staring at the closed door with his heart hammering. His stomach did excited flips inside him, but his chest was tight with guilt. His smile faded, a frown settling in as he turned to walk off On-Ji's porch.

What was he doing? What had he been thinking, staying out all night with another girl? Then to make matters worse, he told this girl all of the things that were bothering him about Katara! And now, his heart was swelling just from a kiss on the cheek; it had been a long time since he had felt like that. He popped out his glider, his eyebrows furrowed in determination.

He knew exactly what he needed to do.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE GOT AWAY?!"

Azula was furious, her fists clenched and her eyes wide as she pressed her face halfway through the bars of the cell.

"Kahn was badly injured, Princess," Chang pleaded, fear evident on his face as he backed away from the door. "And Lee was cut severely as well."

"You only sent _two_ Dai Lee agents to try to capture Mai?" Azula asked incredulously. "She's one of the best combat warriors in the Fire Nation!"

"We had no idea," Chang admitted, his voice soft. "We assumed she would just join our side-"

"You should never assume, Chang!" Azula snapped, her glare still murderous as she looked him dead in the eye. "Not unless you have back-up for the chance that you're wrong! Did you tell them what we were planning?"

"We just told them that you were planning something, and that you needed them for your secret mission-"

"So they now _know_ that there is something going on?!" Azula asked, her voice raising an octave.

"We didn't-"

"Do you have any idea what this _means_?" Azula was borderline hysterical. "They know something is going on and they are still the enemy, Chang! They could ruin everything we've been working for!"

"I am so, so sorry, Princess Azula," Chang begged, falling to his knees in shame. "We miscalculated."

Azula's scowl deepened at the familiar phrase, biting her tongue and taking a calming breath.

"We need to fix this little" -Azula paused again, her eyes closing- " _miscalculation_."

"Anything," Chang assured her quickly, standing to come closer to the door once more. "I will do anything to make this right."

"I want you to find them," Azula said softly, her eyes opening to look into his. "And kill them."

* * *

"I couldn't tell you earlier because I didn't _know_ , Sokka!"

As they approached their suite in the palace, Katara could hear the desperation in Suki's voice.

"You said you had your suspicions!" Sokka shouted as the trio opened the door. "You said you thought it might be true, but you never came to me about it!"

"I didn't want you to panic," Suki admitted, her voice lowering as she hung her head. "I knew you weren't going to be happy."

Katara's eyes widened as she watched Suki rest her hand on her stomach, which she hadn't noticed until now had grown just a little bit.

"Suki," Katara's voice was hushed, her eyes wide as she stared at the warrior's stomach. "Are you-?"

"Pregnant?" Suki finished her sentence, looking at Katara with tears in her eyes. "Yes."

" _This_ is why you're freaking out?!" Katara spun on her brother, a look of pure outrage on her face.

"She didn't tell me!" Sokka snapped, glaring right back. "Don't you think I should've been informed before anyone else?!"

"Well why should she tell you when she's going to get a reaction like this?" Katara asked angrily, motioning towards Sokka's angry stance.

"I knew you would be upset," Suki looked defeated, sitting slowly on the couch with her head in her hands.

Sokka's eyes widened, face softening as he looked at Suki.

"Suki…" Sokka said gently, going to sit next to her.

"I know we aren't m-married, and I know it isn't the b-best time-" Suki began sobbing, and Katara watched Toph's jaw drop; it was unlike Suki to be so emotional.

"Hey, it's alright," Sokka looked alarmed as well, but he draped an arm around her crouched form. "We'll figure it all out."

"Don't worry," Toph spoke up for the first time, her voice surprisingly gentle. "We'll all be here for you."

"She's right, Suki," Katara assured her, meeting the warrior's watery eyes as she looked up from her hands. "You're not in this alone."

"We have healers here in the palace," Zuko spoke up, and Katara saw that he looked a little uncomfortable. "If you need them…that is."

"Thanks everyone," Suki gave them all a weak smile before turning to look at Sokka. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Are you kidding?" Sokka smiled back, taking Suki's hand in his. "I'm fine. I just hope you're okay."

Suki nodded, and Katara couldn't help but grin at the happiness between the two. They hugged, and Toph began turning her head from side to side, as if she was looking for someone.

"Did Haru ever come back?" she asked.

"No, I thought he was with you," Suki replied.

Toph announced that she was going to go look for him and left the room. Suki stood, and with Sokka in tow, they both headed up the stairs to bed. This left Katara and Zuko alone, and she could feel the tension hanging thick in the air.

They locked eyes, and Katara could see the sadness hidden in their depths. Her heart clenched, and she opened her mouth to say something. Zuko shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his back to her.

Before Katara could say anything at all, he left the room without a word.

* * *

As they approached the small island ahead, Mai watched Ty Lee walk on her hands across the ship deck.

"What do you think the Dai Lee are planning?" she asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Mai.

"I don't know," Mai's voice was low, bored with how long it had taken them to get to their destination. "I'm just glad we've finally gotten away from them- for now anyway."

The boat hit the shore with a small bump and the pair jumped out, landing softly in the sand. There were tall palm trees everywhere, a well cut path directly in front of them.

"What is this place?" Mai asked as Ty Lee led the way to the path.

"It's my family's island," she replied, ducking gracefully underneath a fallen branch as they approached the parting of the trees. "We would come here all the time when my family needed to get away for vacation. It's been in the family for generations, but it's not exactly written on many maps. My grandpa used to call it a 'hidden paradise' and always insisted we keep it that way."

"Interesting," Mai said softly, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around.

The island was hot and humid, and she was happy when they made it on the other side of the path, a rather large beach house on stilts coming into view.

"It's just as beautiful as I remember it!" Ty Lee gushed, running to the front door with excitement.

Mai followed slowly after her, walking up the stairs that led to the front porch. When she entered the house, she was surprised by how cozy it was. The living area was large, but with low ceilings and mismatched furniture throughout. There were many comfy chairs and couches with plush blankets and fluffy pillows scattered on all of them. Mai suddenly felt tired, collapsing into an over-sized chair.

"We will be well-hidden here," Ty Lee said, sitting in a sofa across from Mai. "We can stay here as long as you'd like. My family hasn't used it in years."

"We won't be able to stay here for long," Mai sighed, a bit disappointed. "If Azula is up to something, we might be the only ones who know. She's not one to share her plans."

"Do you think it has to do with Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, and Mai scowled at her before looking away.

"I have no idea," Mai admitted, crossing her arms.

"Are you guys….okay?" Ty Lee asked after a moment, her tone concerned.

"No," Mai replied darkly, looking at her feet. "We're not. We haven't spoken in over a week, I've been ignoring all of his messages."

"Why?"

"Because I don't have anything to say," Mai shot back, frustrated with Ty Lee's questions. "We haven't been alright for almost two years now. I mean, we always fought, but it got even worse the longer we were together. Lately, I've been starting to think-"

Mai cut herself off, closing her eyes at the unwelcoming thought.

"Think what?" Ty Lee asked, breaking the moment of silence.

"I'm starting to think maybe Zuko and I would be better off without each other."

* * *

 _Katara could hear the sound of Sokka and Toph snoring, like nails on a chalkboard. She wondered how she was ever able to sleep over all the noise._

 _They were all camping out for the night, Aang still missing. Jun had helped them as much as she could to find Iroh, but before they got any farther, Zuko had suggested they camp out that night before they kept going. Everyone had agreed without hesitation, clearly exhausted by the day's events._

 _But Katara couldn't sleep, and she laid face-up on Appa's soft fur, staring up at the stars. Her ears perked when she heard Zuko shifting back and forth next to her. She turned on her side to face him, and was surprised to see he was already turned as well, looking straight at her. His eyes widened slightly when he was caught, and she could see his cheeks turning a little pink._

 _"I guess you can't sleep either?" she asked softly, keeping her voice low as to not wake the others._

 _Zuko shook his head, and there was silence as they continued to look at one another. Katara reached a tentative hand out, brushing stray hairs from Zuko's face. He closed his eyes at the touch, but then quickly pulled away as if burned, his eyes shooting open again._

 _"Have you decided what you want yet?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing._

 _Katara was taken aback, slowly retreating her out-stretched arm._

 _"I don't know yet, okay?" Katara hissed, frustrated with his persistence._

 _"Well until you've figured it out, I don't want you touching me," Zuko snapped at her, scowling._

 _"Well fine," Katara tried to keep her volume low. "I was just trying to-"_

 _"Trying to what, Katara?" Zuko interrupted angrily. "Mess with my head? What's your purpose here? What are you trying to do?"_

 _"I'm not trying to_ do _anything," Katara argued. "I'm just-"_

 _"Confused, yeah I know," Zuko muttered, moving his eyes away from hers. "I got it, Katara. You don't have to keep saying it."_

 _Katara was at a loss for words, a hollow emptiness in her chest as she realized how truly upset Zuko was; how much she was hurting him._

 _"Don't worry, Zuko," she whispered, her eyes watering. "You won't have to hear about this anymore. I don't want to hurt you any longer."_

 _There was a tense moment of silence before Zuko looked up, his eyes wide._

 _"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, a note of worry in his tone._

 _But Katara didn't answer, rolling over with her back to him, letting the silent tears fall._

Katara was awoken with a start when she heard the bedroom door open. She was laying on her side, her back to the door, but she knew by the light footsteps that it was Aang. She wondered where he had been all night, and debated rolling over and asking him. She thought about it, listening to him as he got ready for bed. She heard the rustling of clothes, and the sound of him gently placing his shoes on the ground. She pretended to still be asleep, trying to stay as still as possible while taking slow, even breaths. She felt the mattress sink in slightly as he climbed into bed, not saying a word to her. How weird that he was not letting her know he was home, or acknowledging her at all.

Katara realized she was doing the exact same thing. It was so out of character for her; normally she would be asking Aang one hundred questions about where he was, who he was with, and why he was out so late. But she found that she just didn't have the energy or drive to do that this time.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Katara wondered if maybe her feelings were starting to change.

 **A/N: Please, please, please review! Thank you for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update guys! I just started school back up and I've also had a slight bit of writer's block. Don't worry, it's back! Anyway, this chapter is pretty...sad I'm not going to lie. Necessary, but sad.**

Zuko was in his thinking room once more, staring out onto the vast grounds of the palace. It was a rainy early morning, seeming to reflect how he felt.

" _Did you have feelings for me all those years ago?" Zuko asked, desperation in his voice._

" _Yes," Katara admitted in a hushed tone, letting her eyes drift to ground._

 _He gripped her hand a little tighter._

" _And did they ever go away?" he whispered, daring to come even closer to her._

 _Katara looked at him, and he could hear her heart hammering as she took a deep breath._

" _No."_

Zuko's chest tightened and he squeezed his eyes shut, letting his face fall into his hands. He hadn't been able to say anything; he was in complete shock. Here Katara was, the girl he swore he thought he loved, telling him four years later that she had feelings for him after all. That it was more than just a physical thing, and that he wasn't completely crazy thinking it was.

Most importantly, she told him the feelings never went away.

There was a loud squawk, making Zuko jump as he was ripped away from his thoughts. There was a large bird flying towards the palace, its feathers a brilliant shade of light blue. The bird landed gracefully on the ledge of the window that had been left open, and Zuko hesitantly walked closer to it. It was surprisingly gentle as it nudged his outstretched hand with its beak. He smiled slightly, scratching the bird underneath its beak.

"Where did you come from?" Zuko asked in wonder, noticing that the long tail feathers of the bird were every color of the rainbow.

His eyes drifted upwards, noticing a small satchel slung across the bird's body. He saw there was paper rolled inside the satchel and pulled it out, beginning to read.

 ** _Zuko,_**

 ** _I just want to start off by saying, I am safe, so you can quit worrying. I know you are. And no, I can't tell you where I am. It's for your own good._**

 ** _We've been through a lot together, more than probably most couples our age have been through. I always had a crush on you when we were kids, as you already know, and it made me so happy the day we got together._**

 ** _But I guess good things don't last forever. We really should've seen this coming you know. We seemed to only bond on our mutual unhappiness and dry sense of humor. We were always yelling at each other, always fighting and breaking up. Of course I thought all of this was because of the war._**

 ** _Obviously I was wrong._**

 ** _We've been fighting for a long time now Zuko; I know it's killing you as much as it's killing me. I hate that I have to write this, I really do._**

 ** _I think it's time we go our separate ways._**

 ** _I want you to know that I'll always care about you, and I will always be here for you as a friend. Right now, I need time away from you though, just like I'm sure you need time from me._**

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 ** _Mai_**

Zuko stared at the letter for a while, his hands growing shaky. His immediate reaction was anger. How dare she? They had been together for four years and she was going to break up with him through a _letter_? No contact with her for weeks and then she sends him some stupid letter suggesting they go their separate ways, but stay friends. Was she kidding?

He took a deep breath, something he had been practicing since becoming the Fire Lord. He tried to settle down the burning fire inside of him, and exhaled slowly. The sad thing was, he knew she was right. They _had_ been fighting for a while. Fighting had always been a part of their relationship; Zuko assumed that was normal. But this past year, they had been arguing about everything from spending time together to what they wanted to eat. It seemed nothing he ever did pleased her, and her nonchalant attitude towards everything drove him crazy.

He supposed they just didn't have that spark that they used to.

With a sigh, he settled down on his favorite leather armchair, watching the sun completely rise in the sky, peeking through the slowly fading rainclouds. He knew it was long overdue, but Zuko still felt a twinge of hurt as he realized it was really over with him and Mai. They had officially broken up. The pain reminded him of Katara, and Zuko briefly wondered why he even bothered with women in the first place.

The way Katara kissed him last night was enough to make all the blood in his body go south if he didn't keep his mind in check. She had been so passionate, so desperate it seemed. It reminded Zuko of when they were younger, how they would just spend hours of the night feeling on one another's bodies. Zuko still had every one of her curves memorized, and had finally felt how exaggerated they had become since the last time they touched.

He groaned internally, begging his mind not to take him there.

He clenched his fists, frustrated in more ways than one. What was she playing at? So what, she had feelings for him all this time and she decided to go to Aang anyway? Was that what she was telling him? He knew he had pushed the issue, and he probably shouldn't have, but he wanted her to see how wrong she was all this time. She _had_ liked him back, but instead of facing it, she went to Aang.

She took the easy way out.

So now here they were four years later, and what was she going to do? She still had feelings for him, that much was obvious. Would she leave Aang? Choose him? Stop avoiding her feelings and face them for what they were?

With a scowl on his face, Zuko decided he didn't have the patience to find out.

* * *

Katara rolled over, waking slowly as the sun blasted brightly through the window. She was exhausted, and it took her a moment to realize Aang was still in the room. He was slowly pulling on his shirt, staring blankly at one of the intricately decorated walls in the room.

Katara sat up, pushing the red silk sheets off of her body. She stared at the side of Aang's face, and she could see clear distress written all over his features. Her stomach turned uneasily, and she brushed a piece of her hair out of her face, trying to come up with words to say.

"Why are you staring at me?" Aang asked, his low voice breaking the tension that hung so thick in the air.

"Where were you last night?" Katara asked, avoiding his question.

"Does it matter?" Aang asked snippily, turning to look at her with his eyebrows furrowed. "You didn't come looking for me anyway."

"I just-"the statement caught Katara off-guard, and she stumbled on her words- "I thought you might, you know, need some time-"

"Yeah," Aang scoffed. "Time for you to figure out what _I_ did wrong. I've been blaming myself for everything, Katara."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she was immediately defensive, and she knew deep down part of the reason was her overwhelming guilt.

"That this isn't all my fault," Aang stood, whirling around to face her. "I have done _nothing_ to you! _Nothing_ to deserve this!"

"Aang, I never said you did!" Katara insisted. "Don't act like I put any blame on you, I never did!"

"So you just treated me completely differently because…?"

"I," Katara hesitated, a scowl forming on her face. "I told you, I don't know Aang! Why can't you give me time to think?"

"There's no time left!" Aang exclaimed, his fists clenching. "This has gone on for far too long, Katara!"

"What are you trying to say?" Katara stood now too, both of them on opposite sides of the bed. "What does that mean? Don't be so cryptic-"

"Cryptic?!" Aang laughed without humor. "You're one to talk!"

"I have told you everything I know!" Katara cringed at what a lie that really was. "Just because you don't-"

"Don't what Katara? Speak 'complicated girl'?"

"I am not complicated! I-"

"Enough!" Aang yelled, his voice booming against the four walls that surrounded them.

Katara silenced herself; Aang's rare bursts of explosive anger had only gotten more frightening with age.

"We obviously need some time to cool off," Aang calmed his voice, shifting his eyes from Katara's widened ones.

She stared at him, relaxing her tensed shoulders. She could hear the complete sadness in his tone as he hung his head.

"Aang…" she all but whispered, beginning to walk around the bed.

"No, Katara," Aang held up a hand for her to stop. "We need to talk. Meet me in the courtyards by the palace halls after breakfast."

"Can't we just talk now? We can-"

"Katara, please," Aang pleaded, his eyes meeting hers once more.

He looked so defeated.

"Courtyards after breakfast," Katara consented, her voice soft. "Got it."

He nodded his head, and with one more wistful look, he made his way out of the bedroom.

* * *

"Zuko!"

Katara jumped back, smacking straight into his tall figure. She had been on her way to breakfast and was about to round the corner, not paying attention. Why did they keep running into each other this way?

He didn't say anything to her, just scowled as she backed away and straightened her clothes.

"I'm glad I found you," he said, his tone low. "We need to talk about last night."

"I know," Katara hung her head, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Zuko's tone wasn't the least bit apologetic; in fact, he sounded angry. "It was obviously a mistake."

Katara's eyes widened, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest, almost as if someone had stuck a knife in there. Mistake?

"Zuko-"

"You and I both know nothing will become of this," Zuko cut her off, holding a hand up to tell her to quit arguing. "It's better we don't waste our times like last time."

"Last time was _not_ a waste of time," Katara insisted softly, trying to meet his eyes.

"Oh it wasn't?" Zuko scowled, still refusing to look at her. "I think you're wrong."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Katara pleaded, reaching her hand out, hoping to move his face so he would look at her.

"Oh-" Zuko grabbed her wrist gently, pushing her hand away from his face before finally meeting her eyes- "I think it does."

With that he whipped around, stalking off without a second glance.

* * *

Aang waited in the courtyards, pacing nervously. He fiddled with his glider, absentmindedly throwing it in the air and catching it again.

He was so tired of the fighting and the pain. He wanted some peace in his life; he was the Avatar after all. Even though he didn't want to do it, he knew this was the only way.

Katara was walking slowly towards him, her eyes on her feet and her long hair swooshing from side to side. She had her hands clasped together, playing with her fingers nervously. When she got closer she finally looked up, and Aang was surprised to see she had been crying.

"Are you ok?" he asked, looking at the swollen redness of her eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered, sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than Aang. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah…." Aang was suddenly nervous, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

She continued to look at him, and Aang found it was too overwhelming. He looked away.

"Last night, when I ran away…" Aang swallowed, taking a deep breath. "I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a long time."

"Like who?" Katara asked. "A Guru?"

"Not exactly," Aang let out a nervous chuckle, playing with a loose piece of wood on his glider. "It was just a regular person….a _girl_ actually."

He looked at her, and she was silent, her eyes widening just a bit. Aang took another deep breath, the exhale coming out a bit shaky.

"It was On-Ji," Aang finally admitted, and he saw Katara raise her eyebrows. "She recognized me and I told who I really was. I ended up spending the day with her and we caught up on our lives since we had last seen one another."

"Why are you telling me this, Aang?" Katara asked quietly, taking a step closer.

"Because…." Aang struggled for the right words. "Because Katara, she invited me inside her house for tea, _alone_. She invited me in and I was just so lonely I went in with her."

Katara's eyes widened to the fullest they could go, looking taken aback.

"You spent the night with her?" she asked, the same look of shock on her face.

"We didn't do anything, Katara, I swear!" Aang held his hands up in a defensive manner. "I would've never gone in the first place, but Katara-"

Aang paused, sadly looking into her eyes.

"I'm so lonely. The way she made me feel last night…I hadn't felt that way in so long. She was interested in what I had to say, she listened to me, she touched me-"

"I thought you said you guys didn't do anything?" Katara snapped, and Aang cringed at the deep scowl that had formed on her face.

"We didn't!" Aang insisted. "But she held my hand, she looked at me like I was someone to be desired-"

"Well good for you," Katara spat.

"When's the last time you did that for me, Katara?" Aang was becoming angry now, clenching his fists as he took a step closer. "I'm trying to be honest with you!"

"Well what you're telling me is you were hanging out with another girl behind my back!" she shouted. He watched her scowl soften, her eyes growing wide as if she had realized something.

"I was," Aang admitted softly, hanging his head in shame. "Katara…last night when I left, I knew what this meant. "

It seemed all the anger from Katara had left as quickly as it had come, and she looked at him with sad eyes.

"What's that?" she whispered, and he felt his stomach flip when he saw her eyes filling with tears.

"Katara…" Aang couldn't stand to look at her, squeezing his eyes shut. "We've got to break up. I think it's time we see other people."

There was a long stretch of silence, the air thick with tension. Aang finally opened his eyes, and saw that Katara's tears had begun to run down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a shaky breath.

"You're r-right," her voice was soft, a little broken up by the crying. "We should've done this a long t-time ago."

Aang's chest tightened, as the reality came crashing down on him. He could feel a lump forming in his throat, and he had to look away from Katara again.

"Katara," he spoke up, clutching his glider for support. "You should know, I'll always love you."

He snuck a look at her again, and her eyes widened before she closed the distance between them.

"I'll always love you too, Aang," she whispered, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Don't ever think I don't care about you."

"I know you care," Aang replied, looking down at her. "This is just for the best."

Katara nodded, and with a light sob she threw her arms around him. Aang hesitated before letting his arms close around her in an embrace. He was going to miss this, the warmth of her body and the softness of her hair on his chest. The way she hugged, so tight and full of love. His heart clenched painfully, and he slowly let go of her, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry Katara," Aang whispered, unable to look at her sad eyes any longer. "I've got to go."

He popped his glider open, and flew off, knowing it was too painful to look back.

 **A/N: I obviously don't ship these two, but this was pretty sad to write. Don't worry guys, Azula will be back in a couple chapters. I miss the devious lady too ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Alright, double review! I couldn't help it, I got excited.**

 **This is the longest chapter I've had so far! Almost 4,200 words! Whoot!**

It was all too much.

Katara clenched her fists in the grass, not even realizing she had collapsed on her knees to the ground. Her tears came down in a stream on her cheeks, blending with the blades of grass as they hit the floor.

She was so stupid.

She had hurt Aang. She had hurt Zuko. All for what? She wasn't even sure anymore. If she would've just made up her mind, would've had some self-control, none of this would've happened!

She ripped the grass in her grasp out of the ground, standing up with a deep scowl on her face. She slowly relaxed her hands, watching the blades hit the ground. She wiped the tears off her face, knowing full well she was probably spreading mud from her dirty hands, but just didn't care.

She started running, running as fast as she could. She could hear her hard footsteps hit the dark stone of the hallways. She could feel her heart pounding, the beats reverberating in her ears. She could hear the quiet sobs slipping from her throat as she continued to cry. Reality was crashing down on her, and Katara knew deep down inside that she deserved all of this.

She had done this to herself.

She headed to the suite, praying to Yue that she wouldn't run into anyone else. When she reached the double doors, she wrenched them open, ready to book it to her bedroom.

"Katara!"

Suki had been relaxing on one of the long leather couches, but she sat up quickly when Katara had burst in the room. Katara's eyes widened, a deer caught in headlights when she realized how she must look. They just stared at one another for a moment before Suki stood.

"Katara," she walked towards her, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you ok?"

It was this question that triggered another round of sobs from Katara, and Suki closed the distance between them to wrap her in a warm embrace. It was the first time Katara realized she could feel Suki's baby bump.

"What happened?" Suki asked, pulling away to search Katara's face.

"It's-It's all my fault Suki," Katara struggled to calm herself down enough to explain what was going on.

Suki walked her to the sofa, moving a book titled 'What to do to get ready for baby', and gently pulled Katara down to sit next to her. She waited in silence, and Katara took deep calming breaths so she could get ahold of herself.

"This-" Suki hesistated. "This doesn't have anything to do with _Zuko_ does it?"

Katara's jaw dropped, and with wide eyes she looked at Suki.

"Why would you think-"

"Oh Katara," Suki chuckled lightly, giving her a knowing smile. "You've been a mess since we got a letter from the Fire Nation. Besides… I knew before that anyway."

"How?" Katara asked in shock, knowing full well there was no point in denying it.

"I'm a Kyoshi Warrior!" Suki exclaimed with pride, then looked more serious. "And that night after Aang went missing, when we all slept on Appa…. I wasn't asleep."

Katara remembered that night perfectly; it was when she had first realized how much she was hurting Zuko. This triggered another round of tears, and Katara tried to wipe them away as she hung her head.

"What happened?" Suki asked again, her voice soft as she placed a comforting hand on Katara's knee.

"What you heard that night…" Katara explained. "That was after everything…after everything that started this whole mess."

"'Everything' meaning…?" Suki trailed off, looking confused.

"I kissed Zuko," Katara admitted in a whisper, and she watched Suki's eyes grow wide. "And not just once…a bunch of times."

"But I thought you and Aang were always together?" Suki asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"We were…" Katara let her face fall into her hands. "But I was stupid, I got caught up in the moment. When we went to find the man who killed my mother, I was emotional, and Zuko was there. He knew exactly what I was going through, something I couldn't connect with when I was talking to Aang. I didn't even know we were kissing, and then we were and I got caught up."

Suki listened, her face neutral, encouraging Katara to keep going.

"Then I stopped it, told him we couldn't do this anymore," Katara continued, beginning to choke up again. "And next thing I know I'm on the beach in the middle of the night because I can't sleep. Zuko's there; again. We start talking about the battle and how we all may not make it out alive. And Suki I-"

"You wanted to know what it would feel like one more time?" Suki finished for her, and Katara nodded.

"I found myself lying awake at night, and I don't know how, but I just _knew_ he was out on the beach," Katara was talking faster now, more desperate than ever to get this all off her chest. "I just had to know. I would go see him, and I would always promise myself we would just talk. But then, it never exactly went like that. It was like I was drawn to him or something, like a magnet…"

Suki nodded, looking as if she understood.

"But then things got more complicated," Katara sighed, her tone somber. "Aang was asking me if we were going to be together. And Zuko was admitting he liked me. I realized what I had done, that I was sneaking behind Aang's back; I was stuck. So I told them both I wasn't sure."

She met eyes with Suki.

"It wasn't until that night on Appa that I realized how much I was hurting Zuko," she whispered. "I knew I needed to end it, Suki. I knew this back and forth wasn't doing anyone any good."

"So you chose Aang," Suki finished, raising her eyebrows in slight surprise. "Obviously. So what happened after that night?"

"It didn't get any better," Katara answered bitterly. "If that's what you're asking."

 _Katara watched with her breath held, the sky turning a beautiful shade of orange as Sozin's comet approached. She was nervous; really nervous. This is what they had been working towards, the final battle, the ultimate showdown. Aang was missing, they had split up from Sokka and everyone else, and she was on her way to fight Azula with Zuko._

 _Zuko._

 _Katara glanced at the side of his face, and watched him staring straight ahead with a look of determination on his face. He hadn't said a word to her since he had asked her to fight Azula with him. She was honored that he had chosen her, and thought maybe he wasn't as mad at her as he seemed. But after they had gotten on Appa and not a word was said, Katara knew her assumptions were wrong._

 _"Are you going to say anything?" Katara whispered, still staring at his face._

 _"There's nothing to say," Zuko answered shortly, still looking ahead. "You've made your choice."_

 _"You don't know that," Katara argued._

 _"Yes I do," Zuko muttered bitterly, closing his eyes. "I've known for a while now."_

 _Katara was silent. She knew he was right; it was always going to be Aang. It had to be._

 _"How?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper._

 _"I was the secret," Zuko replied, finally turning to look at her. "I was the one you never wanted anyone to find out about. Tell me Katara, why would you want to hide the one you truly wanted to be with?"_

 _Katara was speechless._

 _"That's right, you wouldn't," he spat, a scowl on his face. "You never wanted this to become what it was, you've been fighting it since the moment it happened. So why would I ever believe you would change your mind about Aang and choose me? The only one more stubborn than me on anything is you Katara. Something I always liked about you…"_

 _Zuko said the last sentence with a broken voice, his eyes looking down at the reins in his hands. Katara's eyes filled with tears; she couldn't stand to see Zuko so upset._

 _"It'll be better this way, Zuko," Katara insisted in a hushed voice. "I won't hurt you anymore. We can both be with the ones we were truly meant to be with. There won't be any more secrets, and no one has to get hurt."_

 _"No one has to get hurt," Zuko repeated with a scoff. "Yeah."_

"So that's how you told him?" Suki asked, interrupting Katara's story. "Right before he was going to fight Azula?"

"It wasn't the best time, I know," Katara replied, hanging her head. "But he already knew and I knew there was no sense in denying it."

"So did anything else happen?" Suki questioned, clearly engrossed in the story.

"He told me he was worried about Aang," Katara answered. "But didn't talk to me again until we made it to Azula."

 _They approached the Fire Nation, and Katara could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could see the red rooftops of the palace, and as they flew closer she could make out Azula down on her knees, about to be crowned Fire Lord. The man holding the Fire Emblem paused when he saw them approaching, and Appa landed in a dramatic fashion right in front of the stairs where Azula and the councilmen were._

 _"Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today," Zuko was standing on Appa's head and jumped off with ease. "I am."_

 _"You're hilarious," Azula laughed, an evil high-pitched sound that made Katara cringe._

 _She jumped down from Appa as well, a fierce look of determination on her face as she stood next to Zuko._

 _"And you're going down," Katara shot back._

 _"Wait!" Azula stopped the councilman from putting the Emblem on her head and stood. "You want to become Fire Lord? Fine! Let's settle this, just you and me brother. The showdown that was always meant to be; Agni Kai!"_

 _Katara's heart skipped a beat, praying Zuko wouldn't take her up on the offer. They would be stronger together rather than apart._

 _"You're on," Zuko replied._

 _Katara's eyes widened, and she watched Azula's evil smile before turning to look at him._

 _"What are you doing?" Katara asked earnestly, her voice low so Azula couldn't hear. "She's trying to play you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us!"_

 _"I know," Zuko wouldn't look at her. "But I can take her this time."_

 _"But even you admitted to your Uncle that you would need help facing Azula," Katara argued, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach; he couldn't do this to himself._

 _"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping," Zuko explained, staring at his sister. "And this way, no one else has to get hurt."_

 _Katara's eyes widened before she scowled, knowing full well he was just repeating what she had said earlier back to her. What was he playing at? What was the point of bringing her along if she was just going to be standing in the sidelines?_

"Because he wanted to keep an eye on you," Suki breathed, her eyes growing wide.

"What?" Katara was taken aback.

"He asked you to come with him because he wanted to make sure you were safe," Suki explained in surprise, turning to look at Katara. "He probably knew from the beginning that Azula would want to fight him one on one; Zuko isn't stupid. He didn't want you to go with anyone else because then he wouldn't know if anything happened to you…"

"That can't be right," Katara argued, but her stomach sank as she started to think about it. "Zuko would've needed help…"

"Not the way he saw it," Suki pointed out. "Iroh was the one who told Zuko he would need someone. So he picked you to come with him. Pretty quickly too….I always wondered why he didn't even hesitate."

Suki marveled at the revelation, and Katara's mind was blown. Was this why Zuko had brought her with him? Had he wanted to keep an eye on her the whole time?

"So then Zuko got struck by lightning, and you finished the job," Suki prompted, breaking Katara's train of thought. "And I know you healed him. Why wasn't he able to redirect it?"

Katara turned slowly to meet Suki's questioning gaze.

"He was distracted," she whispered.

 _Katara watched from the background in awe; Zuko had grown into an incredibly powerful bender. As she watched the blue and orange flames collide, she tried to brush off the nagging coincidence that the Fortuneteller so long ago had always told her she would end up with a powerful bender._

 _She watched Azula loose her traction, and Zuko's blast knocked her to the ground as she rolled across the ground. She yelled out in fury, and Katara's heart skipped a beat. Maybe Zuko was right, maybe he_ could _take her this time._

 _"No lightening today?" Zuko asked, and Katara ran to join, eager to finish the job with him. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"_

 _Azula stood up, breathing heavily with her shoulder slumping, her hair a complete mess._

 _"I'll show you lightening!" she yelled at him, her hair falling in her face as she scowled at him maniacally._

 _Katara watched with baited breath as Azula slowly whipped her arms around, a strong string of bright blue lightening making a semi-circle around her body. She could feel all the hairs on her body rising up at the amount of electricity that was building up in the air. Katara watched Zuko take a huge breath, putting his body in a solid stance, ready to redirect anything she would hit him with._

 _She watched Azula charge up her lightning strike, and felt her heart beating fast._

Please Zuko _, Katara begged in her mind_ , Please, please redirect it _._

 _But then, Azula's focused eyes moved from Zuko. She had spotted Katara for the first time since she had come on the stadium from the sidelines. She smiled evilly, and Katara only figured out what Azula was going to do an instant before she did it. She watched the blue light head straight for her, frozen in place._

 _Zuko turned to look over his shoulder, seeing Katara standing there. His eyes met hers, pure panic written all over his face. He watched the lightening, dropping his stance to run in front of it. Katara watched as he jumped, screaming no as he took the lightening into one of his arms. Her eyes widened as she realized he was not going to redirect it, and his body seemed to float in mid-air as the full impact of the electricity hit him. She watched, still stuck in place, in complete shock._

 _She watched him crash to the ground, his body curled up as he grunted in pain. This seemed to snap some sense into her, and with her heartbeat pounding in her ears she ran towards him._

 _"Zuko!"_

"He took the lightening….for you?"

"Yes," Katara whispered, her eyes filling with tears once more. Was she ever going to quit crying?

"Wow," Suki was dumbfounded, sitting back in her seat with her eyes wide. "What did you do?"

"Well after I took that bitch down," Katara growled, remembering the hatred that had coursed through her veins that day. "I went to heal him."

 _Katara tightened the chain around Azula's wrists; the only thing on her mind was getting to Zuko._

 _She ran as fast as she could, hearing him still yelling out in pain. Her heart raced, her stomach clenching as she watched him struggle. She turned him over quickly, pulling water out of her satchel to bring over his wound. It was similar to Aang's, and she knew exactly how to heal it this time. She watched him with earnest, her chest tight with worry and her eyes wide. She concentrated on the injury, feeling the broken pieces and mending them back together._

 _Katara glanced at his face, seeing his more relaxed posture, and could feel the wound tying itself back together. She met his eyes, smiling when she realized he was going to be ok._

" _Thank you, Katara," Zuko said, his voice straining as he smiled up at her._

" _I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," Katara replied, her eyes filling with tears._

 _He didn't respond, just closed his eyes again as she slowly took her glowing hands from his torso._

 _"Why did you do that Zuko?" she whispered, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "You could've…"_

 _She choked on her own words, a sob escaping her throat as she took his hand and squeezed it._

 _"You shouldn't have done that!" she scolded, but it was half-hearted as she was just so relieved that he was alive. "Why Zuko? Are you trying to kill yourself?!"_

 _"Because…." Zuko's voice was weak, his eyes still closed. "I love you, Katara…"_

Suki gasped, her hands clasping over her mouth as she sat up straighter.

"He _said_ that?!"

Katara nodded, the tears streaming down her cheeks as her chest ached with pain at the memory.

"But you didn't say it back," Suki responded in a hushed tone, turning to look at Katara. "Did you?"

Katara shook her head, a small sad noise slipping from her throat. She hadn't and every day since the moment it happened she regretted it.

"So what did you do then?" she asked.

"I helped him up, and I showed him how I had defeated Azula," Katara replied. "She was a wreck, and I tried to comfort Zuko without words- he seemed upset. But after that we decided to find out where the others went."

"So that's it then huh?" Suki questioned. "Nothing was ever said about it again?"

"Well…" Katara began. "Not exactly…"

 _Katara walked into Zuko's bedroom, where he was laying on his back, bandages covering almost his entire upper half._

 _"I'm here to heal you one last time," she spoke softly, and he sat up slightly, cringing in pain._

 _"You don't have to do this," Zuko protested, but Katara just shook her head with a smile._

 _"You saved my life Zuko," Katara pointed out, pulling a small bout of water from her satchel. "The least I can do is heal you to best of my ability."_

 _She helped him sit all the way up, her hand trailing down his bare back. She heard his breath hitch and she immediately felt guilty for her reaction to just that small sound. She unwound his some of his bandages slowly, concentrating on not hurting him. The water around her hands began to glow and she brought it to his wound, an angry red blotch right below his chest. He squirmed uncomfortably, and Katara gave him a look that told him to stay still. He chuckled lightly._

 _"Zuko," Katara began, unable to make eye contact with him. "You know this….doesn't change anything right?"_

 _It pained her to say it, and she focused on mending the last of the broken pieces so she wouldn't have to see his face. He was quiet for a moment, and her stomach squeezed in anticipation._

 _"I never expected it to," he muttered, and she watched his chest rise and fall as he let out a heavy sigh._

 _She felt his wound tie up the last of its broken ties, knowing her work was done here. She gently pulled her hands from him, moving the water smoothly back into the satchel._

 _There was a moment of silence, as she continued so sit on the edge of his bed. She knew he was looking at her, and it took her a moment to get the courage to look back. His eyes were searching and sad, and she felt a tight twisting in her chest._

 _"I guess next time I see you, you'll be Fire Lord Zuko," she chuckled nervously, trying to break the tension._

 _"Yeah," Zuko offered her a small smile, but the sadness never left his eyes._

 _"I'm sorry, Zuko," she whispered, unable to avoid the subject any longer. "I'm sorry it has to be this way…"_

 _Katara hung her head, her eyes beginning to water. She felt his hand gently caress her face, turning her head to look at him._

 _"It doesn't have to be," he insisted, looking at her in earnest. "It's not over yet, Katara. You can still choose differently….still choose me."_

 _Katara noticed how close he had gotten to her face, and her heart rate quickened as she could feel his body heat radiating off of him._

 _"Zuko, I can't-"_

 _He silenced her with his lips, kissing her desperately. She found herself melting into the kiss, leaning closer to him. He moved his head to the side, trailing his hand that had been resting on her cheek to string through the hair. She reveled in the feel of his hands in her hair, and deepened the kiss as she shifted her body into a more comfortable position._

 _A switch was flicked in her head and she realized what she was doing. She pulled back as if she was burned, her breathing quick and her heart rate fast._

 _"We can't do this anymore," Katara cried out, jumping from the bed. "We just can't Zuko!"_

 _"Katara," Zuko stood with difficulty, ignoring her reaching out to help him. "You wouldn't keep kissing me if you didn't want to. Just think about it!"_

 _"I don't want to think about it, Zuko!" Katara exclaimed, before relaxing her angry stance. "I've already made my decision."_

 _"You don't look very happy about it," Zuko said, scowling at her._

 _"It's what I want," Katara countered, convincing not only Zuko, but herself._

 _They just looked at each other for a moment, an unspoken sadness passing between them._

 _"So I guess this is goodbye then," Zuko spoke softly, his voice low._

 _"I guess it is," Katara replied, feeling a lump form in her throat._

 _Before she knew what she was doing, she was throwing her arms around Zuko in a tight embrace. She loosened it a bit when she felt him grunt in pain, but he still wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his racing heart. She would miss how warm he was, how tall he was, the way he smelled, similar to a campfire with just a hint of something woodsy. She felt his chin rest on her head, and they stayed like that for a moment, neither one of them saying a word._

 _Time passed before Zuko took each of her arms, pushing her slowly off of him._

 _"You need to go," he muttered, unable to make eye contact with her._

 _"Zuko," Katara pleaded, staring at his broken expression. "I'm sorry-"_

 _"Just go," he cut her off, his voice strained as he turned his back on her. "Please, just go."_

 _Katara stared at his back for a moment, knowing there was nothing she could say or do. With a heavy heart and a turning stomach, she slowly walked out._

Suki sat in silence, watching Katara's tears flow down her face. Katara tried to get them off of her face, but more just kept flowing. How could she be so blind?

"So even after all that," Suki spoke, sounding confused. "You _still_ chose Aang? Why?"

"I'm not sure," Katara shrugged, sniffling. "I guess I felt like I owed it to him to give him a chance. He had never done anything to me to make me feel like I couldn't at least give him a chance. And at the time, I liked him too. Just…not as much."

"What about now?" Suki asked.

"Aang broke up with me," Katara sighed, though the pain of it wasn't quite as bad as it had been earlier. "I guess I knew it was bound to happen."

"Well of course it was," Suki replied, sounding frustrated. "Katara! Why are you in such denial?!"

Katara was taken aback by Suki's persistent tone.

"Don't you see?" she went on, her eyebrows raised. "Aang isn't the one you loved, Katara. And he's not the one you love now."

Katara froze, thinking back to all the times she had ever had with Aang, and with Zuko. The memories overlapped, and her eyes widened.

"Zuko," she whispered to herself, and Suki grinned with a nod. "It was always, Zuko."

Suki stood up, holding her hand out for Katara to take it. Katara consented, and Suki pulled her up into a standing position with surprising ease.

"You want to know how to end all of this?" Suki asked, wiping away the last of Katara's tears off her face and flattening her hair down.

"How?" Katara asked, having a feeling she knew what Suki was going to say.

"You need to tell Zuko the truth," she replied, turning Katara around to face the open the door. "You need to tell him you love him."

 **A/N: Reviews would be very much appreciated guys. It helps me more than you could ever know. Thanks so much for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Alright guys...here it is. I'm not gonna lie, this chapter has made me a bit nervous to post. I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it.**

 **By the way, this chapter definitely has some M rated stuff in it ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

Aang flew through the air, watching the pointed red rooftops fly by him in a blur. He couldn't believe he had done it; he never thought it would come to this.

He had actually broken up with Katara.

A familiar fountain came into view, and he landed gracefully on the ground next to it. With a flick of his wrist he closed his glider, walking slowly towards the fountain. He sat on the ledge, staring at the clear water as it flowed. He dipped his fingers in slowly, petting the large orange fish that swam peacefully through the water.

"Aang?"

He turned quickly, watching On-Ji approach him with questioning eyes.

"Hey On-Ji," he said softly, looking down again at the fish.

"Aang," On-Ji sounded concerned, taking a seat next to him. "What happened?"

"Katara and I…." Aang hesitated; it seemed much more real when he said it out loud. "We…aren't together anymore."

"Oh," On-Ji sighed, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "I'm so sorry."

"You were right, On-Ji," Aang looked up at her with sad eyes. "People change. She changed, and I don't think she's loved me for a while now. At least….not like I thought she loved me."

"I wish I knew what to say," On-Ji whispered, her eyes searching his face as if looking for answers.

"She was the only one I ever pictured myself with," Aang confessed, looking at his lap. "I'm not really sure where to go from here."

"Aang, there's more than one girl out there," On-Ji replied, reaching out to caress his cheek.

His eyes met hers, and he could see an underlying message in her words. His eyes widened just slightly, his skin warming at her touch.

"Do you think-" Aang tripped over his words, suddenly becoming nervous. "Do you think, we could have tea…again?"

On-Ji giggled, coming closer to wrap her arms around him. He was taken aback, but wrapped his arms around her as well. He loved how comfortable she was with herself; it seemed there were no barriers with her.

"Of course you can," she answered, pulling back to smile at him.

Her face was very close to his, and he swallowed hard. Her smile faded, a look of pure curiosity on her face as she kept eye contact with him. She was so pretty, and Aang's heart rate quickened.

"H-How long can I stay?" Aang stuttered, his voice hushed.

"As long as you want," On-Ji breathed, her eyes widening as she let her eyes travel down Aang's body; apparently he wasn't the only one who had noticed their close proximity.

"But _mom_! I don't _want_ to look at books! I want to look at _toys_!"

Aang and On-Ji jumped away from each other, watching a little boy and his mother walk past them. The mother was holding the little boy's hand, who was practically digging his feet into the ground so she couldn't move. She spun around, scowling down at him.

"If you don't knock it off, I will take every toy you own and send it to kids who don't throw fits!"

The boy silenced himself almost instantly, a pout still evident on his face. His mom turned, and he followed slowly behind, having let go of her hand.

Aang and On-Ji laughed at the exchange, then turned to look at each other.

"Uh…" Aang chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Tea!" On-Ji exclaimed, her cheeks turning pink as she went to stand up.

"Yeah…" Aang trailed off, standing as well. "Tea…"

She led the way and he walked behind her, smiling at the new spring in her step.

* * *

Katara paced nervously, fiddling with her fingers as she thought about what she was going to say.

"You'll do fine!" Suki had reassured her, practically shoving Katara out the door. "The longer you wait, the longer you'll have to stop yourself."

So there she was, standing in the hallways of the palace, just waiting for a guard to find her twiddling her thumbs and talking nervously to herself. They would think she had lost her mind.

What was she going to say? What _could_ she say?

"Hey Zuko, I know it's been four years and you've probably moved on, but I love you."

Katara shook her head, a scoff escaping her lips.

"Zuko, I know I chose to date Aang instead of you for four years, but I actually like you more."

Katara groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead. What was she doing? Maybe Suki was just too optimistic…maybe this wasn't going to work.

She scowled, looking up with her fists clenched.

 _No_ she thought, her tone determined, _she could do this_.

She made her way outside, figuring Zuko would want to enjoy the nice weather outside. She let the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind calm her, trying to take deep even breaths as she made her way along the grounds. She was nervous; _very_ nervous.

She walked up a hill, spotting a figure leaned up against a tree near a large pond. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it must be Zuko. She approached slowly, wanting him to be unaware of her presence for as long as possible.

As she got closer, she noticed he was dipping his fingers in the pond, swirling the water around as the small turtle-ducks came to play with him. She could see one side of his mouth was turned up into a small smile, and she felt her heart swell. He was always so angry and serious; it was nice to see him happy for a change.

His smile dropped as he heard her walking forward and he turned his head to the side quickly. When he saw it was her, he scowled while pulling his fingers out of the water, turning away again to stare into the water.

"What do you want, Katara?" Zuko asked, his tone low and annoyed while he crossed his arms.

"I came here to talk to you," Katara answered softly, coming to a halt when she was close enough for him to hear her.

"About what?" Zuko snapped, turning his head so that she couldn't see his face any longer.

"You and me," Katara replied, sounding a lot braver than she felt.

"There is no 'you and me', Katara," he muttered, refusing to look at her. "I told you, the other day was a mistake."

Katara's heart clenched at that word again- _mistake_.

"Zuko, you and I were never a mistake," Katara insisted, dropping to her knees next to him. "I never felt that way, and neither should you."

"Why shouldn't I?" he snapped, finally turning to face her with a glare. "How did it turn out good for me, Katara?"

"You're right," Katara admitted, hanging her head in shame. "It didn't turn out good for you Zuko, and I'm sorry for that. But I came here to tell you, it didn't turn out good for me either."

Zuko's scowl softened, his eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" Katara asked, looking up again to meet his curious gaze.

He looked taken aback, only nodding in response as he continued to stare at her.

"I do too," Katara whispered, a small smile on her lips. "You surprised me, that's for sure. When I finally realized what was going on, I couldn't help but kiss you back, Zuko."

"But then you stopped me," Zuko reminded her. "You stopped me, and didn't say anything about it."

"I was scared," Katara confessed, looking down at her hands that she had rested in her lap. "I was scared of the way it made me feel."

"What does that mean?" Zuko asked, his tone defensive.

"The way I felt after that night," Katara explained, taking a deep breath before looking into Zuko's eyes. "It was the strongest thing I had ever felt in my life. Stronger than my love for my family, stronger than the bond I feel with my element….stronger than when I kissed Aang."

Zuko's eyes widened at the last part, and Katara swallowed hard.

"I chose Aang because he had never given me a reason not to choose him," Katara continued, desperate to make Zuko understand. "I knew he wanted to be with me, and I always thought I would end up with him. It had been like that for years! Why would I do anything to change it? But then you came into my life-"

"And ruined everything?" Zuko interrupted with scowl. "Katara, why are you telling me all of this? To throw it back in my face?"

"No!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes widening. "No, Zuko, I'm trying to explain this to you. I got together with Aang, and I thought everything was going to work out fine. He wouldn't get hurt, I couldn't hurt you anymore and you would be with Mai…everything would work out the way it was supposed to."

"Well you were wrong about that," Zuko scoffed, shifting his eyes away from her. "Mai just broke up with me this morning."

Katara's eyes widened, and she couldn't help the excited skip of her heart at the news.

"Uh," Katara tripped over her words. "I'm sorry. Why?"

"We've been fighting for years," Zuko replied, staring unseeing into the water. "It was long overdue."

Katara resisted the urge to reach out and caress Zuko's face; he looked so sad.

"Aang broke up with me too," Katara confessed, her voice soft. "We….haven't been doing alright for a while."

Zuko turned quickly, making eye contact with her. They stayed staring at one another for a moment, and Katara could see a thousand questions in his eyes.

"So why are you here?" Zuko asked, breaking the connection as he shifted his gaze to the grass. "What is the point of all this?"

"Zuko, things didn't turn out okay for me," Katara admitted, her hands beginning to shake. "And I'm sorry it took me so many years to see it…I should've known all along…"

Katara broke off, trying to steady her breathing as her heart raced wildly.

"Known what?" Zuko asked, turning his body completely so he was facing her.

"That I love you Zuko," Katara whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him.

Zuko just stared at her for a moment, his eyes the widest she'd ever seen them.

"W-What?" he stuttered.

"I love you," Katara repeated, a tentative smile on her face. "I always have. I've loved you since the first time we kissed, and those feelings never went away."

Zuko said nothing, just continued to stare at her as if she had just told him he was the Avatar. She started to get nervous, her smile fading as she quickly looked down at her shaking hands.

"I uh, I understand if you don't feel the same way," she mumbled, a lump already forming in her throat. "I know that was a long time ago-"

She was silenced by the feel of his lips against hers, kissing her hard. There was a note of desperation in the way he was kissing her, and it only took a split second before she was wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers resting in the hair on the back of his head. She turned her head to the side to deepen the kiss, and it wasn't long before they formed a fast rhythm with their lips. She clasped her hands together, gently pulling him closer. He let out a small groan, moving forward which pushed her back until she was laying in the grass.

With slight adjusting, never breaking the kiss, Zuko climbed on top of her. She moaned at the sudden contact, her hands gripping his shoulders to pull him closer to her. She felt the corners of his lips pull up in a smile, and she took this opportunity to slide her tongue across them, asking for access. He happily obliged, and they let their tongues dance together, his mouth hot while hers was cold; fire and ice.

Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears, the smell of Zuko intoxicating as she kept up their quick rhythm. She could hear his heavy breathing, and it brought her excitement to a whole new level. This was everything she ever wanted, everything she ever _needed_ for the rest of her life. She felt him lower the rest of his body onto hers, and sighed at the feel of his body on top of her.

She could feel how hard he was, and ground her hips up to meet his. He hissed, pulling his lips from hers with his eyes squeezed shut. She smirked, repeating the movement, watching his mouth open wide.

"What are you doing?" he ground out, his jaw clenched with his golden eyes wide.

"Playing with fire?" Katara answered innocently, a sneaky smile on her face.

Zuko chuckled softly, leaning back down to kiss her once more.

"Fire Lord Zuko?"

They both froze, and Katara's eyes widened as Zuko quickly climbed off of her.

"Fire Lord Zuko, where are you?"

Katara sat up, watching Zuko stand gracefully, dusting off his clothes.

"Over here, Shin," Zuko called, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Sir!" Shin exclaimed, and Katara watched him run across the grounds in an urgent manner. "Your meeting! It started over twenty minutes ago! The councilmen have been so worried!"

"I'm _fine_ , Shin," Zuko said, clearly annoyed. "Tell them I will be there in just a minute."

"Yes your highness," Shin bowed respectfully, sneaking a questioning glance at Katara before turning to walk away.

When he was out of earshot Zuko sighed, his shoulders slumping. Katara suddenly felt awkward; her flushed cheeks reminding her of what had just happened. He seemed to be feeling the same way, making eye contact with her before looking away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So-" Zuko hesitated, his face turning bright red as he looked at her again. "That was-"

Katara stood, facing him while pulling on her hair nervously.

"What did that mean Zuko?" she couldn't help asking, cutting him off.

His blush faded, and he kept eye contact with her, his face serious. Closing the distance between them, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It means I love you too, Katara," he whispered in her ear. "I always have."

* * *

 _Mai,_

 _I'm sorry it had to come to this. I guess you're right, good things don't last forever. I hope this makes you happy, and I understand why this needed to happen._

 _I'm glad you're safe. What do you mean it's for my own good that I not know where you are? Are you at least still in the Fire Nation?_

 _Zuko_

"Well, I got my letter back from Zuko," Mai announced to Ty Lee, who was laid out in the sand on a bright multi-colored towel.

"Did you really?" she asked excitedly, rolling over to face Mai with wide eyes.

"Don't get too excited," Mai drawled, tossing the letter in the sand in front of Ty Lee's face. "There's not much written back."

"What did you expect?" Ty Lee asked, sitting up gracefully and crossing her legs. "You broke up with him in a letter after all. Didn't you get mad at him for doing the same exact thing all those years ago?"

"This time was different," Mai snapped, scowling at her friend. "I _have_ to write him a letter right now. We're in hiding remember? He could've told me in person before _he_ left."

Ty Lee shrugged, moving her eyes from Mai to read the letter. She finished quickly, looking up with a smile.

"Well at least he still cares about your safety," she pointed out. "Are you going to tell him what's going on?"

"Of course not," Mai answered with a scoff. "Azula could be intercepting all the letters. Besides, knowing Zuko, he would do something stupid to try to stop her. It's better if he stays in the dark for as long as possible."

"What are we going to do?" Ty Lee asked, her expression growing worried. "We have no idea what Azula is planning."

"But we _do_ know Azula," Mai countered, adjusting her umbrella to block the stream of sunlight that had moved to her legs. "If she's still the same person we knew back then, whatever she's planning has an end goal of her as the Fire Lord."

Ty Lee nodded in agreement, looking thoughtful.

"What we need," Mai continued. "Is a date. We need to know when she is planning to do this. If we have that, then we can catch her off guard and infiltrate the Dai Lee before it's too late."

"How are we going to find that?" Ty Lee asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, who else would know about Azula's plan _besides_ Azula?" Mai asked.

"The…Dai Lee?" Ty Lee answered, her tone unsure.

"Exactly," Mai smirked. "Do that, and we'll have no problem figuring out exactly what she's up to."

Ty Lee smiled back, an excited gleam in her eye.

"Let's do it."

 **A/N: Reviews? Please :)?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Officially the longest chapter I've ever written. And this was supposed to be a filler... *shakes head***

 **Anyway, I'm warning you guys now, this chapter is VERY RATED M! Like I might be pushing some rules here, I'm not sure.**

 **Happy Reading!**

Aang laid on the bed, On-Ji asleep in his arms. Her head was on his chest, and he listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing. Her room was large, and had a skylight on her ceiling that gave him a perfect view of the stars. She had fallen asleep a long time ago, but he just had too much on his mind to sleep right now.

When he had followed On-Ji inside for tea, he thought it was an innocent decision; mostly. He planned on going inside, then sharing a cup of tea as they talked about anything to get his mind off Katara.

But things didn't go exactly as planned.

 _"You mean you taught your pig-chicken to do_ all _of that?" Aang asked, laughing at the concept._

 _"I swear on the Spirits," On-Ji held her hand up, giggling. "He even wears a bag and I can put my books in it. He carries the whole thing, and sits super still so I can load them all in th-"_

 _She froze, her wide grin dropping almost instantly._

 _"What is it?" Aang asked in alarm._

 _She jumped from the kitchen table, opening up the coat closet that was nearby. She grabbed Aang by the arm, dragging him into the closet. He could hear muffled voices now, a man and a woman talking animatedly, but couldn't make out their conversation._

 _"Just stay here," On-Ji whispered urgently, her eyes wide with fear. "Don't make a sound. If my parents found out you were here with me alone…"_

 _She never finished the sentence, closing the door in Aang's face before he heard the front door open._

 _"Hey Mom!" On-Ji's voice was sweet and innocent. "Hey Dad! You're both home early!"_

 _"We were let off work early!" On-Ji's mom announced excitedly. "Our bosses were feeling generous. The festival is in two days, so they gave us all extra time off!"_

 _"That's awesome!" On-Ji replied._

 _The festival! Aang had almost completely forgotten. It reminded him that eventually he would have to go back to the palace and face everyone—face Katara._

 _That is, if he ever escaped this house._

 _He knew he had been in there for hours, listening to On-Ji's poor subtle attempts at moving her parents into any room but the one they were in. Just when Aang was thinking of creative ways to break out of the closet without being heard and without damaging the house, he heard a window of opportunity._

 _"Welp!" Aang heard her Dad stand up, the chair scraping across the hard floor. "I think I'm going to head to bed."_

 _"I'll join you," her Mom piped up, and Aang heard her chair scrape across the floor as well. "We'll need all the energy we can get for the festivities this weekend!"_

 _"I think I'll do the same thing," On-Ji agreed, and Aang chuckled softly at the fake, dramatic yawn she let out. "I've been tired all day."_

 _They exchanged goodnight wishes, and Aang could hear their descending footsteps as they exited the open living/kitchen area. As soon as they were out of earshot, On-Ji wrenched the closet door open, holding a finger to her lips to tell him to be silent. He stayed floating slightly above the ground, and he followed her down a short hallway that led to her bedroom door. She took him by the hand, and yanked him inside. Aang used his back to close the door behind him, resting his head on the door as he let out a relieved sigh._

 _"Oh my gosh," On-Ji giggled, standing very close to Aang. "Oh my gosh, that was so close! I am so sorry, Aang!"_

 _"Won't your parents still hear us?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper._

 _"Lucky for me, their bedroom is on the other side of the house," On-Ji smirked. "So we don't really have to worry about it."_

 _"Maybe I should go…" Aang felt guilty._

 _"Please don't?" On-Ji posed it as a question, her eyes pleading as she looked up at Aang._

 _He noticed the close proximity of their bodies, and swallowed hard as he looked deep into her eyes. He relaxed his shoulders, letting On-Ji know he would stay. She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stared at one another for a long moment, and Aang could feel his heart rate increasing._

 _On-Ji tentatively brought her face closer to his, never breaking eye contact with him._

 _"Would it be alright if I…" On-Ji breathed, looking down at his lips. "Kissed you, right now?"_

 _"Yeah," Aang consented softly without thinking, his eyes growing wide._

 _That was all she needed to hear, and next thing he knew she was pressing her lips against his. He was startled by the urgency of the kiss, but he eventually wrapped his arms around her waist. Maybe it was the excitement of it being a secret, or maybe it was just the way her cheeks were so flushed as she had rushed him into the bedroom—but Aang was very aroused._

 _She deepened the kiss with a small sigh, pressing her body up against his so his back was flush against the door. His eyebrows raised, but he kept his eyes closed as he let his hands explore her body. At first he stayed very respectful, keeping his hands strictly moving up and down her sides, never going to any out-of-bounds areas._

 _But then she was pushing her hips into his, and sliding her tongue across his lips, and Aang lost all of his inhibitions. He flipped them around, using the air around them to whip her gracefully so that she was now pinned against the door. She let out a surprised yelp that turned into a moan as he let his mouth fall onto her neck._

 _He wasn't sure what had happened next, but somehow they had made their way to the bed. She had taken her shirt off, and Aang was once again surprised by her boldness. His head had landed roughly on her pillows, and she was pressing her body flesh against his exposed chest. He could feel her breasts against him, and moaned when she dragged her nails down his chest and abdomen._

 _It had been so long since anyone had touched him like this; made him_ feel _like this._

 _He could hear her heavy breathing as she slid her fingers dangerously close to the drawstring on his pants._

 _"Can I?" On-Ji whispered, the first time anyone had said anything in a while._

 _Aang simply nodded eagerly, holding his breath as he watched her grip the top of his pants and slowly pull them down. It was obvious how turned on he was, and On-Ji let out a small gasp before tentatively reaching for him._

 _Aang let out a strangled yelp as she folded her fingers, gripping him completely. She smiled wickedly at him before moving up and down, and Aang thought for sure he was going to come undone right there. He begged every spirit he knew to not let that happen; he did not need that kind of embarrassment._

 _She was shy at first, but it wasn't long before she was keeping up an intoxicating rhythm, and Aang was biting his lip hard to keep from being too loud. Just when he thought he couldn't take much more, he-_

On-Ji rustled in her sleep, snapping Aang out of his memory.

He felt a heated blush on his cheeks, trying to keep his mind from wandering to any more dirty thoughts. She had eventually pushed him over the edge, and he had returned the favor gladly.

Now she was asleep in his arms, and the guilt was overwhelming him. He had not even broken up with someone 24 hours ago, and here he was, sleeping with another girl.

He stared at On-Ji's peaceful face, her eyes closed with eyelashes tickling the tops of her cheeks. She was smiling slightly, and loose strands of her long brown hair hung in front of her face. Her small nose was squished slightly into his chest, and he smiled at how cute she was. She had been so sweet, so kind to him even after barely knowing him. He felt completely comfortable with her, and she made him feel like he was loved again.

Aang sighed, gently moving some of the hair out of her face before staring up at the stars once more.

He just hoped he wasn't moving too fast.

* * *

"So…how did it go?"

Katara jumped, hoping to make a sneaky entrance into their suite. Suki was sitting with Sokka, who had an arm around her. She gave Katara a knowing smile as one of her hands rested gently on her stomach.

"Uhh…." Katara blushed, averting her eyes to stare at her feet.

"How did _what_ go?" Sokka asked, clearly annoyed he wasn't in the know.

"Oh just Katara confessing her love to Zuko," Suki answered in a matter of fact tone.

"WHAT?!" Sokka exclaimed, jumping up with his eyes wide as he stared at Katara.

"Suki!" Katara's hands rested on her hips, glaring at her friend.

"What?" Suki asked, trying to look innocent. "Everyone is going to find out eventually!"

Sokka's mouth hung open, looking back and forth between the two girls.

"Yeah, but you don't even know how it went!" Katara argued.

"Oh please," Suki scoffed, smiling and waving away the idea. "Judging by the look on your face when you walked in, and how Zuko's been looking at you since we got here, I'm sure everything went fine."

"He what?" Sokka found his voice again, eyes still wide.

"Sokka, don't worry about it," Katara was still scowling, getting annoyed with him.

"Since when are you interested in Zuko?" Sokka questioned her, his eyebrows furrowed in deep confusion. "I thought you were with Aang?"

"He broke up with me," Katara confessed, looking away.

"What?" Sokka's voice softened. "Why?"

"Things weren't going very well for us," Katara answered.

"So now you're just moving right along to Zuko?"

"No!" Katara snapped. "Zuko's the whole reason none of this worked out, if you must know. I just didn't realize it until now."

"Oookay," Sokka put his hands up in defeat. "I'm completely confused. But you know what? I'm just gonna leave you two alone, and I'll go find Toph and Haru."

"Uh you may not want to do that," Suki smirked. "Last time I saw them, they went upstairs, and there's beds up there-"

"Ah!" Sokka put his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay, WAY too much information!"

Suki and Katara giggled, watching Sokka's dramatic reaction.

"I'll just go for a walk," Sokka mumbled, and without looking at either of them he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Geez, he's such a baby about that stuff," Suki shook her head, but she was still smiling at the door. "I mean you should've seen him the first time we-"

"Suki!" Katara exclaimed, putting a hand up to stop her from going any further. "I'm his _sister_ remember? Please spare me the details."

"Oh," Suki blushed. "Right. Sorry."

Katara joined her on the couch, and after looking at Suki's questioning eyes, spilled all the details. Suki was a great friend, gasping in all the right places and letting her tell even the dirtiest of moments.

"So when's the next time you'll see each other?" Suki asked when Katara had finished.

"Tomorrow night," Katara answered, pulling on a loose strand of hair. "After we've greeted all the festival guests, we said we would meet late that night. I'm actually….a little nervous."

"Nervous about what?" Suki asked, giving her a reassuring squeeze of the knee. "It's just a date right? What else is going to happen?"

Katara nodded, and after a few minutes of light conversation, Suki announced she was going to go find Sokka. She watched her friend walk out the door, left alone to her thoughts.

She sighed, letting her mind wander. She understood why Suki was confused; after all if it was just a date why should she be nervous? She never had a problem talking to Zuko, and it wasn't like they had never hung out before.

The problem was, Katara and Zuko had trouble keeping things "just a date".

 _Katara's hand trailed down Zuko's chest, marveling in the smooth pale skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. His eyes had slipped closed, and she was straddling his hips, her knees digging into the soft sand beneath them._

 _"That….feels nice," Zuko breathed, and Katara grinned before dragging her fingers lightly down his chest again._

 _She heard his breath hitch, and the muscles in between her legs clenched. She loved the power she had at this moment, and she repeated the motion, this time using her nails. When he sighed in obvious pleasure, she grew bolder, moving her touch to his abdomen. She traced each individual ab as it rippled under her grazing fingers, listening to Zuko's labored breathing._

 _Her heart was racing with desire, and she could feel Zuko's erection pressing into her inner thigh. It only fueled her need, her skin growing hot and her breathing coming out in a more rapid pattern. She slipped her fingers under the rim of his pants, dragging them back and forth. She watched Zuko's eyes slip shut and his jaw tighten. When she continued her torturous movements, she watched his eyes shoot open again in impatience._

 _"Katara," he practically growled through clenched teeth. "What exactly are you doing?"_

 _She smiled seductively at him, dipping her fingers farther down into his pants. She skillfully avoided the obvious bulge in his pants, but it didn't stop him from letting out a frustrated groan._

 _"Katara," his tone was much more desperate now, his head falling back hard into the sand. "Please…."_

 _She obliged, slipping her hand completely underneath the fabric of his pants. She mentally thanked Jet for all the sexual knowledge he had bestowed on her in their small time they spent together in that treehouse. It was helpful as she wrapped her fingers around Zuko, listening to the satisfied sigh that slipped from his gaping mouth._

 _"What is it that you're asking me for, Zuko?" Katara asked quietly._

 _It was unlike her to be so brave in these situations; after all she had only been with one other man, and they hadn't even gone all the way. But something about the way Zuko was acting was giving her the courage she needed to tease him. They had been playing these light touching games for a few nights now, and Katara was ready to see how much farther she could go. She loved how vulnerable he was right now—she had made the infamously strong and sturdy Zuko putty in her hands._

 _"Move."_

 _She could tell he was trying to sound authoritative, but the word actually came out as more of a plea. She grinned before moving her hand up and down in even, slow strokes._

 _Zuko squirmed under her touch, panting as his eyes squeezed shut, eyebrows furrowed. It wasn't long before he was moving his hips, begging without words for her to move just a little faster. She marveled in the way he looked, completely undone, hair a mess and dusted with sand, lip caught between his teeth as he tried to stifle his continuous groans._

 _She took her hand from his pants, quickly lowering her entire body so that she was right up against him. She ground her hips into his, and he wrapped his leg around her, pressing her body even closer to his. She let her chin rest on his shoulder, his mouth on her neck. His breath was so hot she thought it might burn her, but she didn't care because she was so overwhelmed with senses. She felt him move up her neck until his mouth was on her ear, and he grazed his teeth across the top of it._

 _"Zuko," Katara groaned, gripping his upper arms tightly as chills ran down her spine._

 _"Do you like that?" he whispered, sending another shiver down her back._

 _All Katara could do was nod, unable to string words together if she wanted to. Zuko chuckled darkly, and with skill only an agile Firebender could pull off, he flipped them over gracefully. She could feel the immense amount of heat that was radiating off of his body as he held himself above her._

 _With his hair hanging in his face in that sexy way Katara loved so much, he made eye contact with her. His gaze was intense, and Katara felt her stomach flip excitedly, the muscles inside her twisting deliciously. Zuko ripped his eyes from her, his gaze moving to her chest that was rising and falling in quick succession. He let his fingers slide tentatively under her shirt, skirting the skin right below her breasts._

 _"Can I?" Zuko asked, a look of pure desire in his eyes as he asked for her permission._

 _"You can do whatever you want, Zuko," Katara breathed, arching her back to emphasize her point._

 _"Don't tell me that," he muttered, an eyebrow raised. "You have no idea the things I want to do to you."_

 _Katara's heart skipped a beat at his confession, and she wrapped her legs around him, yanking his hips closer to hers in response. He groaned, and let his hands cup each of her breasts, kneading them with surprising skill. Katara let her eyes slip closed as he dragged his thumbs across her hardened nipples. He ground his hips into hers, and she hissed at the spark of pleasure it sent racing through her body._

 _She quickly sat up, pulling the shirt over her head so that all was left was her bindings covering her. Zuko's eyes widened, looking surprised at her actions. Katara unwrapped her legs from around his body and shimmied out of her red long skirt, impatient with need._

 _"Katara," Zuko breathed, sitting up on his knees and watching her in shock. "W-What are you doing?"_

 _"I need you, Zuko," Katara begged, and she knew she should be embarrassed by how needy she sounded. "Right now."_

 _"But Katara have you ever-" Zuko swallowed hard. "You know….had sex before?"_

 _"Well," Katara blushed, looking away from his questioning gaze. "No. But I trust you. And I want it."_

 _Zuko just stared at her for a moment, looking as if he was having an internal battle with himself._

 _"Have you?" Katara asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow at him._

 _"Yeah," Zuko laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "A few times actually."_

 _Katara felt a pang of jealousy, scowling deeply at the thought._

 _"With who?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest._

 _"Well there was obviously Mai," Zuko recounted looking thoughtful. "Then there was this girl who was in one of my classes at my private scho- why do you look so mad?"_

 _Katara was seething, but she was a little surprised by her reaction; why was she getting so jealous?_

 _"I'm not!" Katara shot back defensively, trying to calm herself down; it was in the past._

 _Zuko grinned, crawling back on top of her. He dragged his fingers down her side in a feather light touch, lowering his mouth to her ear._

 _"Don't worry," he whispered, giving Katara goosebumps. "You're the prettiest of them all. By a landslide."_

 _Katara was too caught up in his close proximity to think too hard about this statement. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him hard on the mouth._

 _"So are you gonna do it then?" she asked snidely. "Since you're such an_ expert _?"_

 _Zuko laughed, kissing her again, before standing up. He met her eyes, pulling his pants slowly down his legs. She realized they were both left in just their undergarments, and her heart started pounding in her ears. She had been so caught up in the moment, so sure she wanted to do this._

 _Now she was getting a little nervous._

 _He got back on top of her, kissing her softly this time. She met his slow rhythm, her skin warming under the random scattered touches of his hand across her body. He broke the kiss gently, and with his knees placed on either side of her hips, he fiddled with her bindings._

 _"What-how do you-?" Zuko was growing frustrated, yanking on the seemingly never-ending wrappings around her lower half._

 _"Here," Katara giggled, reaching for the knot that held it all together._

 _With an expert pull on the string, her bindings came undone, unwrapping slowly until they were in a puddle on the sand underneath her. She blushed, looking anywhere but Zuko's face as she realized she was completely exposed. She closed her eyes, not wanting to know what he looked like at this moment. She heard him shifting, then he was crawling on top of her, the warmth of his body back to encompass her once more._

 _She realized he had taken his undergarments off as well, and blushed when she felt his bare erection pressing onto her naked thigh. She swallowed hard, her shaky hands coming to rest on his shoulders._

 _"You ready?" Zuko breathed, adjusting himself so his hips were just below hers._

 _Katara squeezed her eyes shut, nodding._

 _"Are you sure you want to do this, Katara?" Zuko asked, making her eyes shoot open to meet his concerned gaze._

 _"Yes, Zuko," she tried to sound reassuring instead of terrified. "Please. Just do it."_

 _"Ok," he agreed, still sounding unsure as he reached down to align himself with the middle of her._

 _"This is going to hurt," he admitted, his tone apologetic. "So just…tell me if you need me to stop. Okay?"_

 _Katara simply nodded, digging her nails into his shoulders as she gripped them tightly._

 _After a deep breath, he pushed himself inside her in one swift movement. Katara cringed, letting out a small cry. Zuko froze, and Katara got used to the feeling of him inside of her. It was painful, she couldn't deny, but there was an underlying feeling of pleasure buried under the waves of pain. She unclenched her teeth, wiggling just slightly to see if she was ready for him to move. He groaned, and she turned her head to the side to see his eyes squeezed shut in deep concentration._

 _"Zuko-" her voice was strained, and she realized how tense all of her muscles were. "Are you-"_

 _"I'm fine," he ground out through clenched teeth. "Just…trying really hard here not to move."_

 _"Does it…?" Katara was unsure what to say, feeling a little embarrassed. "Feel good?"_

 _Zuko let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head._

 _"You have no idea."_

 _A surge of excited pleasure shot through the middle of her, and she experimentally wiggled again. She was getting used to this full feeling now, and was becoming increasingly more aroused by Zuko's groans. She continued her tentative wiggling, getting more and more daring._

 _She had to bite back her own moan; it actually was starting to feel_ really _good._

 _"Katara," Zuko pleaded, his head dropping to rest in the sand next to hers, his fists clenching. "Please…"_

 _"You can move," Katara consented, her voice a barely audible whisper._

 _This was all the encouragement he needed, and he picked up an excruciatingly slow rhythm. She knew his pace was for her, and her heart warmed at the caring gesture. He was breathing heavily, and Katara could tell he was dying for more. She was getting more and more tolerant of the foreign feeling, and she figured she might be able to handle a faster pace._

 _"You can go faster," she suggested, trying to make eye contact with him._

 _He pressed his forehead up against hers, and she gasped at the surprising temperature of his skin. If he wasn't a Firebender she would've assumed he had a fever. He kissed her deeply, picking up the pace by just a little bit. He broke from her lips, his mouth open as his breathing became ragged. She ran her fingers through his hair, lifting her hips ever so slightly to try to meet his movements._

 _She found this was a little too painful; she wasn't quite at that level yet. Despite that, Zuko still got the point. He sped his movements up, letting out a long groan as he hung his head._

 _"Geesh Katara…" he moaned, his squeezed shut. "You have no idea how….tight you are."_

 _Katara figured that was a good thing considering how desperate Zuko seemed. She was loving the way this felt, small gasps and mewls slipping from her own lips. His pace became a bit uneven, and she could tell he was getting close to finishing. She needed him to speed up, wanting more of this new delicious feeling that was spreading within her._

 _"Zuko," she gasped, gripping his shoulders. "Please…don't stop moving…."_

 _He moaned again in response, moving at a more desperate pace. Katara loved the way he sounded; for such a quiet guy he was awfully vocal in bed._

 _"Oh no," Zuko breathed, his head dropping into the sand next to hers again. "Oh no, Katara, I'm gonna…."_

 _He finished his sentence with a groan deep in his throat, and Katara watched as he completely came undone. She was a little startled by the liquid she could feel filling her up, watching Zuko collapse on top of her. She was breathing heavily, listening to Zuko's panting as he came down from his high. She was absentmindedly running her fingers up and down his back, feeling all of his muscles slowly relax underneath her touch._

 _Suddenly he tensed again, his eyes wide as he lifted himself up with his arms to look at her._

 _"Katara!" he exclaimed, looking panicked. "I just- I'm so sorry- inside you- I didn't realize that was going to happen- I-"_

 _It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, but when she did she blushed. She placed a gentle hand over his mouth, giving him a reassuring smile._

 _"Don't worry, Zuko," she consoled, her voice a bit raspy from their recent activities. "I can fix it, I just need you to-"_

 _She motioned towards his lower half that was still very much connected with hers, her face growing hot. He looked down as well, and gave her a quick kiss before slowly moving himself out of her. They hissed in unison, and Katara felt slightly empty when he had completely left._

 _She sat up slowly, her muscles a little achy, especially down_ there _. She twisted her wrist in a delicate fashion, feeling out the substance Zuko had left behind. With another flick of her wrist, she was pulling it all out of her. Zuko's eyes widened, and she wished he wasn't staring so intently at her actions._

 _"Wow," he remarked, finally looking up to meet her eyes. "That's…useful."_

 _"Yeah," Katara mumbled, immediately closing her legs. "Gran-Gran taught me that in case there was ever an emergency."_

 _"Your_ grandma _taught you that?!" Zuko's jaw dropped._

 _"Well," Katara scowled. "It's not like I had a mom to teach me!"_

 _"Right," Zuko hung his head in shame._

 _She reached out, pulling him in for a hug. They stayed like that for a moment, and Katara was becoming more and more aware of how completely naked both of them were. She pulled away awkwardly, reaching for her clothes and hurrying to put them on. She suddenly felt exposed, too exposed, and was surprised at the lump that was forming in her throat._

 _"Katara?" Zuko's tone was soft, but she didn't stop her hurried movements as she tried to gather up her bindings._

 _She stood quickly, turning her back to him and wrapping her bindings around her with delicate practice. What had they done? How had it escalated this quickly?_

 _"Katara," Zuko repeated, and she heard him standing up._

 _She squeezed her eyes shut, cursing the tears that raced down her cheeks. She pulled her skirt on clumsily, almost tripping into the sand in her hurry. After pulling her shirt over her head with shaky hands, she desperately tried to get her hair under control._

 _"Hey," Zuko was closer now, delicately wrapping his arms around her from behind._

 _"Zuko, please," Katara's voice cracked, and she half-heartedly tried to wiggle out of his hug._

 _She noticed he had pulled his clothes on as well. He kept his arms around her, giving her a very light kiss on the back of her neck._

 _"What's wrong?" he asked._

 _Katara melted into his arms, never truly wanting to fight out of them in the first place._

 _"We moved too fast," she insisted, her voice shaky. "We shouldn't have- I mean I don't regret it but- I mean, what are we doing here- is this-"_

 _"Hey, hey, hey," Zuko was being uncharacteristically kind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Everything's okay. Do you wish it hadn't happened?"_

 _"No," Katara admitted with a sigh._

 _"Well neither do I," Zuko agreed, hugging her tighter. "So don't worry about it, okay?"_

Katara shook herself from the memory, remembering how safe she had felt in his arms. How she hadn't thought badly about it until later. It was after that night that Zuko had confessed his feelings for her.

And she had stupidly ran.

She sighed, laying her head on the pillow that was propped on the arm of the couch. She would do it differently this time; she would treat Zuko the way he deserved to be treated.

Hopefully tomorrow, they could keep it "just a date".

 **A/N: *blushes* Hehe. I warned you. Reviews would be much appreciated...not sure how well I truly wrote this scene**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, this chapter was a bit hard for me. I...struggle with romance haha. Anyway! This chapter is a bit dark at the end, but we are finally back to Mai and Ty Lee. Hope you enjoy!**

"Has anyone seen Aang?"

Katara had been looking all morning for him, knowing it was about time they talked. Now that everything was out on the table with Zuko, it seemed silly that she hadn't talked to Aang yet.

"I haven't seen Twinkle Toes since yesterday before breakfast," Toph answered, lounging on one of the leather couches in the living area.

Her head was resting on Haru's leg, who was reading a book titled "Secrets of the Badger Moles".

"Me either," he replied apologetically, looking up from his book.

"I'm going to keep looking," Katara sighed, making her way out of the suite.

She heard footsteps behind her, turning around to see Sokka approaching.

"I'll help!" Sokka seemed a little too eager, and Katara raised an eyebrow at his unusual behavior.

"What are you up to?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing!" Sokka put up his hands in defense, laughing nervously.

Katara continued to stare him down, and after a few moments he lowered his hands, his smile fading.

"Alright fine," he consented with a sigh. "Suki's a little…. _testy_ at the moment. I think she just needed some space, so I left her in the bedroom to meditate…or sleep."

"Ok, you can join me," Katara laughed, shaking her head and continuing to walk with her brother by her side.

"So," Sokka began after a moment of silence. "You and….Zuko huh? When did that start?"

"Oh Sokka…" she sighed, glancing sideways at him before hanging her head. "It's a long story. I'm sure you don't want to hear it all."

"Just spare me the details," Sokka grinned. "What happened? Did Aang do something to you?"

"No. No!" Katara was bewildered by this accusation. "No, Aang hasn't done anything wrong. It was me, actually….I was the one who was wrong."

She gave Sokka a brief summary of the story, leaving out the details as he wished. He listened without any interruptions—a bit out of character for him.

"So does this mean you and Zuko are….together now?" Sokka asked after she had finished.

"I…think so?" Katara replied, rubbing the back of her neck.

The truth was, Katara wasn't sure. She knew they were meeting up that night, and she assumed it was a date. Suki had said it was a date…so it _was_ wasn't it?

"I have to find Aang, and tell him the truth," she explained, her voice soft. "I want him to know. And I want to tell him before someone else does. That means no words until I talk to him first, Sokka."

"Hey, my lips are sealed!" Sokka replied quickly. "I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to tell the Avatar that his girlfriend is in love with someone else anyway."

Katara hung her head. No matter how many times it was said, she would always hate the way that sounded.

She continued to walk with Sokka in silence, praying they would find Aang soon.

* * *

Katara ran forward, beating Sokka in the race to hug their Dad.

"It's so good to see you guys!" Hakoda exclaimed, laughing as he wrapped his arms around both of his kids, who were now much taller.

"Bumi, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" Toph exclaimed, approaching a still-crazed looking Bumi. "How's my favorite Earthbender doing?"

"I take offense to that!" Haru interjected jokingly, and they all three laughed.

It was the day before the festival, and all of the honored guests were arriving to stay the night in the palace. They were in the dining hall, a large table and chairs set in the middle, but no one was sitting. The guests all entered following palace guards, who looked rather joyous by such a happy and diverse reunion.

Katara broke gently from her hug, scanning the small crowd for Zuko. She watched Toph's parents approach her, taking her into a loving embrace. The Earth King was greeting everyone with an eager smile and excited wave, Bosco the bear following closely behind him. Iroh had long red robes on, and was greeting everyone with a tray of tea, advertising how hot it was.

There was still no sign of Zuko though, or Aang.

As if someone had read her mind, Katara's ears perked up when she heard Zuko's voice behind her

"Greeting guests and friends!" he called out from a podium set high off the ground. "I welcome you to my palace, and invite you to please make yourselves at home. The festival is tomorrow, and I am so honored to be hosting it in the Fire Nation this year!"

There was a round of applause and cheers, and Katara's heart warmed at how grown up Zuko looked in that moment.

"My palace servants would be more than happy to show each of you to your rooms," he continued, smiling down at them in genuine happiness. "And I can't tell you how glad I am you all have come."

They all cheered again, and he gave them a big wave before exiting the stage. Katara ran to meet him as he descended down the stairs, her cheeks pink with excitement. She was swallowed by the crowd, and no one seemed to notice the two standing off to the side as they all conversed among themselves.

"That was wonderful, Zuko!" she congratulated him, her eyes wide.

"Thanks, Katara," he grinned, taking her into a friendly hug.

"We're still meeting tonight…right?" she whispered in his ear, taking in his familiar scent.

"Of course," he replied, looking around before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Meet me at the turtle duck pond after the feast tonight."

Katara nodded, pulling away from him slowly.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

Zuko tried to brush his hair out of his face, but it was no use. He told himself not to worry about it; he was pretty sure Katara had mentioned that she liked it the way it was anyway.

He glanced around him, having second thoughts about all the candles.

 _"A man does not make the date romantic for his lover without candles!"_ Uncle Iroh had insisted when Zuko broke down and asked him for advice.

So here he was, with about 50 candles of various heights and sizes, scattered across the small field and circling the large pond. They lit the area around him with a warm yellow hue, and Zuko supposed that made it romantic.

He had a large red blanket spread across the grass, and he was currently sitting on it. There was a large pot of melted hot chocolate set on a large lifted pad to keep it from burning through the blanket. There were plates of various bite-sized foods and two skewers. Zuko had subtly told Katara to not eat dessert at the feast; she happily obliged, and he had a feeling she liked surprises.

He spun around quickly when he saw a figure slowly approaching where he was sitting. He knew it was Katara, and his eyes became wide when he got a better look at her.

She had taken the braids and beads out of her hair, letting it down completely in its natural state. He found he loved it this way, and watched it swish back and forth with her movements. She was wearing a red skirt that hit just above her knees, with a couple of small black Fire Emblems decorating the fabric. A tight black top with a low neck gave little to the imagination, and Zuko tried to keep his thoughts respectful. When she saw all the candles, her eyebrows raised, a broad grin spreading across her face.

"Z-Zuko!" she breathed, as she got to the top of the hill and was within ear shot. "Oh my goodness….is this all for me?"

"I-" Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, his face growing hot. "I- I mean I figured candles would be-"

"Oh, Zuko," she turned to look at him, too eager to notice his stuttering, her beautiful blue eyes glowing in the candlelight. "This is so romantic."

Zuko grinned; he made a mental note to thank Uncle Iroh later.

"I'm, uh, I'm glad you like it," he mumbled, breaking his eye contact from her to look at the blanket.

She stepped gently over the candles, gracefully sitting down next to him. There was a moment of painfully awkward silence as they both searched for something to say. Zuko was getting frustrated with himself; why was he so nervous right now?

"So…." Katara began, finally cutting through the tension with a tentative voice. "What's in the pot there?"

"Oh!" Zuko exclaimed, thankful for a topic of conversation. "That's chocolate. Dark chocolate actually. I brought a bunch of stuff that we could dip it into. It's one of my favorite desserts."

"Chocolate!" Katara's eyes widened, an excited sparkle in her eye as she stared at the contents of the pot. "Wow! Really?"

"Yeah," Zuko laughed softly, a bit shocked at Katara's surprise. "Have you….never had it?"

"Once or twice," Katara was still staring at the dark brown liquid as if it were gold. "My Gran-Gran brought it from out of town once for my birthday, and then once for Sokka's. It's my favorite."

Zuko felt some of his tension evaporate; well at least he had done this part right.

"How do you- I mean-" Katara blushed, looking at Zuko quickly before pulling on a loose piece of hair. "I'm not sure how to eat this kind. It was usually in bars when Gran-Gran brought it."

"It's easy," Zuko explained, picking up a long skewer and putting a small piece of spice cake on the end of it. "You just do this and then dip the skewer in the chocolate."

He demonstrated, slowly dipping the cake into the pot. He pulled it out after it was completely covered in chocolate, letting the extra drip off the sides. After he was sure it wouldn't be too much of a mess, he brought it to his mouth and took it all in one bite.

"Is it good?" Katara asked eagerly, already reaching for her skewer.

"It's delicious!" Zuko answered without thinking, his mouth still clearly filled with food.

His cheeks turned red, and he covered his mouth in embarrassment. He was usually much more graceful than this; what was wrong with him?

"Okay," Katara giggled, reaching for a small piece of cake as well. "Here we go."

She dipped it into the chocolate, and he watched her bring it too quickly to her mouth. It dripped across the blanket, onto her skirt, and on her chin. She didn't seem to notice, quickly putting the skewer in her mouth and closing her eyes in bliss.

"Mmm," she sighed, chewing the cake and opening her eyes to look at Zuko. "This is so good!"

Zuko smiled, glad he wasn't the only one making messes tonight; her clumsiness made him oddly more comfortable. When she was finished chewing she looked down, noticing the chocolate that had spilled.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, quickly pulling water from the pond to wipe up some of the mess. "I am so sorry! I'm sure this blanket is expensive too!"

"Katara, it's fine," Zuko reassured her, putting a hand over hers as she desperately tried to scrub with a nearby napkin. "We have plenty more of these in the palace."

"Oh, right," Katara stopped scrubbing, looking embarrassed as she quickly wiped the chocolate from her chin. "I didn't think about that. I guess I'm not used to the royalty side of things."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, completely confused. "Aang is the _Avatar_. You guys are about as royal as it gets."

"Well, Aang wasn't really supportive of that life," Katara admitted, looking up so her eyes met his. "He wanted to live a simpler lifestyle, and I always….respected that. He believed that living with riches would make us unappreciative of the world around us. I tried to explain to him that I would never let myself do that, but I guess he didn't believe me. So when we went back to the South Pole, we lived life as normally as possible."

"I can see why he did that," Zuko replied. "Royalty can go to your head; look at my sister. I think the key is to always be thankful for what you have, and share your wealth with others when you can."

"I always thought that too," Katara agreed, looking down and using her finger to try to remove some of the chocolate from her skirt. "I didn't want to disrespect Aang; I know his life was hard up until the end of the war, and I wanted to give him as much peace as I could. But if I was being honest with myself….I never wanted to go back to my own life. I had seen too much, done too much. I wanted something different. There was too much going on in the world that I could fix; that I could help with! I couldn't stand living idly by. Just because the war had ended didn't mean all the broken pieces had been mended. I don't think Aang and I saw eye to eye on that though."

Zuko listened to her confession, watching her hair blow lightly in the subtle wind.

"Well just so you know," he began, his voice soft as he made eye contact with her. "If you…wanted to stay with me, I am not against living a life of royalty. You could have anything you ever wanted…"

He searched her for a reaction, but she just continued to stare at him, and he noticed once again just how truly beautiful she really was.

"I would _want_ to give you anything you ever wanted," Zuko sped up, becoming equally excited and nervous. "If you stayed with me, I would want to show you all the projects I've been working on to help people. And you could help me with them too, if you became Fire La-"

Wait…what?

Zuko's face burned, and he knew his cheeks were bright red. He instantly let his face fall into his hands, wanting to just sink into a hole in the ground. What was _wrong_ with him? If she _became the Fire Lady_?! Was he crazy?

"If I became the Fire Lady, I would be honored to help you with your projects," Katara broke the thick, embarrassing silence.

Zuko looked up from his hands, seeing Katara's timid smile with cheeks tinged pink.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, shaking his head. "I think I'm just…a little nervous…"

"Me too," Katara admitted, pulling anxiously at her hair before looking up at him once more. "I want this time to be different, Zuko. No secrets; I don't want to be the girl that hurts you."

She gave him a small smile, reaching out to caress his cheek.

"I want to be the girl that loves you."

Zuko's eyes widened before he smiled back at her. He tucked her hair behind one of her ears, never breaking eye contact.

"I want to be the guy that loves you too."

He was internally surprised by such a sappy thing coming out of his mouth; it was unlike him to be so overly affectionate. Something about the way Katara was looking at him was bringing out a side of him he had never seen before.

They shared a gentle kiss, pulling away slowly. Katara giggled, Zuko assumed out of nervousness again, and he grinned at her.

"So…" he sat back, placing another piece of spice cake on a skewer. "Does….Aang know yet?"

Katara looked away, suddenly busying herself with her skewer.

"I haven't been able to find him," she confessed, looking down at her lap. "I want to be the one to talk to him…I'm the one who messed everything up. He has to know the full story."

"You'll find him," Zuko reassured her, putting his skewer down to place his hand on her knee. "Just give him time."

Katara nodded, placing her hand over his. With a smile, she busied herself with the dipping chocolate once more, and Zuko decided he wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of his life.

* * *

"What makes you think they're going to be in the Western Air Temple?"

Mai rolled her eyes at Ty Lee's question; had she not already explained this?

"I _told_ you, Ty Lee," Mai replied, irritated as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "When I went to the neighboring island I overheard someone at the pub talking about the 'Dai Lee organization'. The man didn't want to give any more details, he said it was too private."

Mai watched up ahead with narrowed eyes, waiting to get a glimpse of the cliffs that hid the very destination they were talking about. They had found an abandoned airship on the island they had been staying, and Ty Lee wasn't even remotely surprised; apparently that happened more often than not on such a hidden island in the Fire Nation. Mai was eager to find out what these men were planning, confident that she and Ty Lee would be able to get the jump on them before it was too late.

"Look!" Ty Lee exclaimed, and sure enough Mai could see the cliffs on the Horizon.

It took a few moments, but they landed gracefully, trying to make as little noise as possible. They were unsure where this "Dai Lee Organization" was going to be held, and decided it would be best to proceed with caution.

As they walked the grassy grounds of the cliffs, Mai wondered where this temple even was. Their ears were perked for any sign of life besides themselves. It wasn't long before they got exactly what they were hoping for, and it was coming from below the cliffside. A confused look was exchanged between the two girls, and they crept to the edge of the cliff, craning their necks over the edge.

Mai's eyebrows raised, surprised by the placement of the temple. It was upside down it seemed, with stone platforms reaching out into what looked like mid-air. There was a fountain in the middle, water flowing excitedly through its pipes, and Mai was shocked to see the entire platform looked fairly new.

There were many men and a few women gathered around the fountain in a circle, sitting cross-legged. There was one man circling them all, his hands behind his back as he spoke loud enough for Mai and Ty Lee to hear.

"-brought you here today for a very special assignment," the man said, his tone determined. "It is with great pleasure that the Dai Lee will once again function under rule of the beautiful Princess Azula!"

Everyone clapped, a few even letting out excited cheers; all except one.

"Is this a _problem_ , Han Rha?" the man, who Mai assumed was the leader, stopped at a smaller gentleman.

He put his face very close to Han Rha's, and Mai watched the younger man cringe.

"I guess I just don't understand how all of this is possible, General Kun. Isn't Princess Azula locked up?"

General Kun laughed, standing up to continue his pacing, and Mai watched Ty Lee frown at the obvious condescension.

"You underestimate the Princess's power," General Kun replied slyly, admiration laced into his tone. "She may be locked up, but that does not restrict someone like Princess Azula. She has been developing this plan for years, and has entrusted me with many others to gather an army together to fight for her."

Mai's eyes widened at the word "army" and she met Ty Lee's shocked gaze.

"Isn't she in the prison that was built beneath a volcano?" Han Rha asked skeptically. "How are we even speaking to her right now? That prison has never been broken out of bef-"

"Han Rha!" General shouted, ceasing his movements and silencing the man almost instantly. "Do you doubt our abilities? Do you think us ill-prepared at the face of battle? What _exactly_ are you proposing?!"

Han Rha shrank back, shaking his head profusely from side to side.

"N-No, General!" he insisted, putting his hands up in surrender. "I only meant…I just want to make sure this is all possible, sir. I want to make sure that Princess Azula will be well taken care of. I want to make sure she will win."

General Kun relaxed his shoulders, a devilish smile on his face before he approached Han Rha once more.

"She will win," he said softly, then rose his voice to his normal bellowing volume. "We will fight for Princess Azula until the death! She is our master; the true heir to the throne! Fire Lord Ozai appointed Azula as the new ruler of the Fire Nation! It is time that we fulfill his wishes, and Princess Azula's!"

Mai and Ty Lee exchanged uneasy looks; maybe this was more extensive than they had originally thought.

"I, and four of the other generals, have made our way across the nations, inviting people to join our team. We are no longer the small band of officers we were in the past. We are a unit, an army of over 1,000 men!"

"One thousand men?" Ty Lee whispered, her eyes widening in fear. "Mai, this isn't good, there's no way we can-"

Mai put a finger to her lips, shh-ing Ty Lee and bringing her attention back to the General.

"-promised that if we succeed, and we _will_ , we will be the new Fire Nation protectors, a stronger and more notable army than we have ever been before!"

There were cheers and fists pumped excitedly into the air. General Kun bowed after his speech was made, and the group all began to get up, talking animatedly amongst themselves. Mai watched with hawk-like eyes as Han Rha walked away from the crowd, looking uneasy. He exited the main area quietly, and Mai knew he was the one they needed talk to.

"Come on," she whispered, motioning for Ty Lee to follow her.

They tip-toed along the cliff side, not a single Dai Lee member spotting them. She watched as Han Rha made his way across the temple exterior, half-heartedly glancing at the many statues that decorated the outside. Mai let down a small rope, dropping gracefully in front of the man once she knew they were out of ear shot of the others.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, putting his hands up in a fighting stance, his eyes wide with surprised fear.

Mai grabbed one of his arms and slid behind him, bringing the arm with her. He yelped in surprise, reaching his free hand over his shoulder and shot a stream of water at her, pulling the liquid from a small pouch that was slung around his waist. She dodged it with graceful ease, her eyes widening in surprise.

A waterbender?

After pulling both of his arms behind his back, Ty Lee hit him her with her seemingly innocent touches. It wasn't long before he was becoming putty in Mai's arms, and she knew Ty Lee had blocked his chi successfully. She dropped him roughly to the ground, letting a small knife slip from her sleeve into the palm of her hand.

She twirled it, letting it land between her pointer and middle finger, Han Rha's eyes following her every movement. She noticed how blue they were and knew those eyes could only come from one place—the water tribe. She put the knife to his throat, and he clenched his teeth, staring down at the knife in obvious fear.

"Please, please don't hurt me!" he begged, his voice an octave higher than it had been before.

"Oh I won't hurt you, Han Rha," Mai mumbled, and she watched his eyes widen.

"How do you know my-?"

"Oh I heard your General's entire speech down there," Mai answered his question, rolling her eyes. "I'm surprised they can't hear him blabbing your secrets all the way back at the Fire Nation."

Ty Lee giggled.

"I want you to tell me what's going on," Mai's tone darkened, and she narrowed her eyes menacingly at him. "Now."

"I won't tell you!" he exclaimed, though his words were a lot braver than his fearful expression.

She dug the blade of the knife just slightly into the skin on his neck. She didn't want to cut him, she just wanted him to know the potential of her weapon.

"Tell me," she growled out. "Now!"

"Okay, okay," he broke surprisingly quick, trying desperately to move away from the knife. "Please, have mercy!"

"What are you guys planning?" Mai started firing questions, taking the knife from his neck. "Why is Azula putting together an army? Why is anyone from the _watertribe_ joining the Dai Lee?"

"The Dai Lee agents have been forming an army across the nations," Han Rha answered quickly, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head. "They are planning to infiltrate the Fire Nation and take down the guards. Princess Azula is using them to take her place as Fire Lord."

"Why did you join?" Mai spat in disbelief. "Do you not understand how crazy she is?"

"She promised us gold," Han Rha's eyes lit up as he explained. "And an honorable spot as the new Fire Nation protectors. She boasts of a better life, and says under her rule the rich will be more prosperous and we will stop giving so much to the poor."

"That's awful!" Ty Lee exclaimed in anger, stomping her way to the man with a deep scowl on her face. "You would rather take from the people who are needy so that you can have all the wealth for yourself? What kind of person are you?!"

"A smart one," Han Rha shot back, a smug grin on his face. "You're only poor because you let yourself become that way. You have to work for the life of the rich. What do you think I'm doing right now?"

"Shut up," Mai snapped, tired of his arrogance. "If you want to live, you'll tell me when this is happening. Is she planning on ruining the festival?"

"What's in it for me?" Han Rha was becoming brave again, despite still being powerless.

Mai swept down, her nose almost touching his as she pressed her knife hard onto the side of his neck.

"How about me sparing your life, you selfish bastard?" Mai hissed, her golden eyes wild with fury.

"Sh-She's not going to do it during the festival, there will be too many people," Han Rha shakily consented, his eyes squeezed shut. "We are attacking once all the festival goers are gone, so the security won't be heightened."

"Is there anything else?" Mai asked urgently, gripping the knife tightly in her hands.

"No!"

"Don't lie to me, Han Rha!" she exclaimed.

"Ok, ok, there's one more thing!" Han Rha was becoming increasingly more desperate, his eyes opening wide again.

"And what is that?"

"We've been told to capture a girl," he replied.

"A girl?" this caught Mai off guard, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Who?"

"Someone by the name of 'Suki'"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Guys, I am so sorry it has taken me this long to update. Between school starting up, more hours at both jobs, and the new Pokemon game, I've been a little pre-occupied. Plus having writer's block (AGAIN) doesn't help matters either.**

 **But, lucky for me, I had a moment of writing fever today, and the author in me is back in full swing with a long chapter that hopefully makes up for the lack of updates *giggles nervously***

 **Anyway! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**

"It'll be okay, Aang."

On-Ji was caressing Aang's face, looking into his worried eyes. It was the day of the festival, a day that was meant to celebrate peace. A celebration of happiness among the nations, and to celebrate Aang himself.

Yet here he was, wanting nothing more than to leave the Fire Nation with On-Ji and never come back.

She was watching him, her eyes wide with concern, looking as if she was trying to figure out what he was thinking. The truth was, Aang didn't know if he had it in him to face Katara yet. What was he going to say? Would they talk? Would they act as if they didn't know each other?

Part of Aang wished they could, just to make it easier.

"I know it'll be fine," Aang sighed, resting his hand on On-Ji's. "I just…I wish I could have more time before I had to face it all again."

"I know you're not over her," On-Ji whispered, taking her hand from his cheek, her eyes moving away from his. "And about last night- I- I mean I hope I didn't push you- that wasn't my-"

Aang leaned in, silencing her with a soft kiss on the lips. She let out a small squeak of surprise before sighing. When he pulled away, he gave her a reassuring smile.

"You didn't push me into anything," Aang said. "Last night was amazing, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not that I'm still in love with Katara; you have to understand, we've been on the rocks for a long time. It's all the awkward tension and leftover pain that comes with it."

On-Ji nodded in understanding, and Aang took her into a warm embrace. He let his cheek rest on top of her head, the softness of her hair tickling his skin. She ran her fingers up and down his back lightly, and Aang could feel the delicious goosebumps budding across his skin. His heartbeat picked up a faster rhythm, and he was once again in awe at the effect that this girl had on him.

"I'll be with you every step of the way," she stated softly, and Aang smiled into her hair.

"I know you will," he murmured, pulling away to look her in the eyes. "You've been there for me, even in this short amount of time that we've been together. I can't thank you enough for that On-Ji…I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Oh you know, just wallow away in sadness," she teased, crossing her arms with a taunting smirk on her face.

"I'm serious," Aang insisted, though he grinned at her all the same. "I want you to be my date to the festival."

"So soon?" On-Ji looked taken aback, her cheeks turning pink. "Don't you think that's a little-"

"Katara already knows," Aang admitted, watching On-Ji's jaw drop at his words. "Being with you…made me realize I wasn't happy with her. When I was with you…you made me feel like I was wanted. You made me feel worth something, and most of all, you made me feel alive again."

On-Ji's cheeks went from a light pink to a burning red, and she smiled shyly, looking down at her feet.

"Thanks, Aang," she whispered.

"So is that a yes to be my date then?" he asked, and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"I would love to be your date," she replied, her brown eyes sparkling.

Aang leaned in and kissed her deeply, his fingers running through her long brown hair.

Maybe this festival wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"So, have you talked to Aang yet?"

Katara made eye contact with her friend in the mirror. Suki had a handful of Katara's hair in her hands, and was gently brushing out the tangles, preparing to put it in an intricate design for the festival.

"Not exactly…" Katara replied, glancing down at her knees. "I haven't been able to find him."

"Hmm," Suki nodded, placing a pin in between her teeth and gathering a few strands at the top of Katara's head.

Katara watched her friend, thankful she wasn't having to do much to get ready. It turns out Suki wasn't just skilled with face make-up being a Kyoshi warrior; she loved to do hair as well.

"I think that looks fine, what do you think?" she asked, grinning at Katara's reflection.

Katara inspected the hairstyle, and was impressed. The top portion of her hair was pulled up into an intricate twist, a common formal hairstyle for the water tribe. The rest was left down, slightly wavy with the ends brushing the middle of her back.

"I love it Suki!" she exclaimed, giving her friend an appreciative smile.

They continued getting ready, Suki dressing in her usual Kyoshi Warrior gear, to help represent that portion of the Earth Kingdom. Katara dressed in an outfit very similar to Fire Nation style due to the heat, with a crop top and a knee-length skirt. When she had it made however, she chose a blue fabric that represented the Water Tribes, with a thin white trim on the edge of the fabric.

"You look fantastic," Suki complimented, motioning at Katara's outfit.

"So do you," Katara giggled. "Nice and intimidating."

Suki winked at her and they headed down the stairs to the living area of their suite. They were surprised to see Zuko sitting in one of the armchairs, looking as if he had been waiting for a while.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He stood, a small grin on his face, and Katara gasped.

He was wearing red pants that tucked into his high black shoes, a golden strip going from the top to toe of the shoe. For his top he had on a form-fitting red shirt, with long sleeves and dark brown cuffs on the elbows. He wore a slight shoulder piece, which was also dark brown and lacked the usual spikes that was common in Fire Nation clothing. With his hair hanging loose and in his face, Katara was a little taken aback by how handsome he looked in that moment.

"I was waiting for you," he replied, his eyes gliding up and down her body. "You are my date, are you not?"

"I'm gonna go find Sokka," Suki said quickly, and Katara watched her speed out the door.

Katara walked until she was standing right in front of Zuko. She smiled nervously up at him, and he reached out, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"So do you," she breathed, pulling away slowly to get a better look at him. "Are you allowed to wear such….casual clothing? You're the Fire Lord."

"Exactly," Zuko replied with a smug grin. "I can do whatever I want. Besides, the royal robes are only needed during the banquet and evening dance. I'll be wearing that tonight."

Katara nodded, suddenly feeling nervous as she pulled on some loose strands of hair.

"Zuko…" she began. "I haven't exactly talked to Aang yet…"

"What do you mean?" he asked, pulling completely away to stare down at her face. "Why not?"

"I haven't been able to find him," Katara defended quickly, feeling her stomach twist. "And Zuko, I don't want to just spring something like this on him-"

"I thought you said he was already seeing another girl?" Zuko questioned, his tone annoyed. "What's the difference?"

"The difference is that it's _you_ , Zuko," she insisted, meeting his golden eyes. "It's going to hit him a lot worse. Especially when I tell him the whole truth…."

"So you want us to keep it a secret?" Zuko asked, sounding frustrated. " _Again_?"

"I'm going to tell him, Zuko," Katara asserted, keeping her eye contact so he would know she was serious. "I swear to you. I just want to be able to tell him, so I can explain. If we can wait just a little longer to make it public, I promise, once I tell him it will all be fine."

Zuko sighed, putting a hand through her hair as he searched her blue eyes.

"Why do you have to care so much about everyone's feelings?" he asked, half teasing and half annoyed.

Katara only grinned sheepishly, placing her hand over his.

"Fine," he consented, and Katara's eyes widened. "I will try to keep it under wraps, but _please_ talk to him so all of this can be over already."

"You have my word," she whispered, getting on her tip-toes so she could get closer to his face. "But I would love to be your secret date."

Zuko grinned, pulling her body flat against him and resting his forehead on hers.

"I guess I can settle for that for now," he mumbled.

Katara giggled, silenced only when Zuko's lips pressed against hers.

* * *

"Spice Cakes! Spice Cakes and Fire Flakes over here!"

Katara's eyes widened, in complete awe at how beautiful the festival was. The entire city right outside the palace was completely decorated, with two of the main streets shut down due to the stands and performers that scattered the area. They were walking through the Fire Nation section now, with red ribbons and Fire Nation emblems everywhere they looked.

"Fire Flakes!" Sokka exclaimed, quickly running to the stand with a laughing Suki in tow. "I'll take two bags please!"

Katara smiled at her brother, watching him bounce excitedly at the counter as the worker filled a bag with Fire Flakes. Her father, Sokka, Suki, Bumi, Toph and Haru had all joined her and Zuko for a walk through the festival. She was searching amongst the thousands of people but she _still_ couldn't find Aang.

"Does your brother really like Fire Flakes that much?" Zuko asked in surprise, watching Sokka stuff his hand into his filled bag and shove a large handful of the food in his mouth.

"He's crazy about them," Katara replied with a giggle.

She was trying to keep her distance from Zuko, but it was harder than she thought. Now that she had broken the barrier of touching him, she found it nearly impossible to act as if nothing was going on between them.

It made her wonder how he was feeling.

"Look!" Haru exclaimed, pointing at something in the sky. "I think Aang is flying in!"

Katara looked up quickly, and sure enough, Aang was on his glider, coming closer and closer to the ground. Her eyes widened when she realized there was someone clinging to him, screaming in fear or laughter, Katara couldn't tell. Aang seemed to find it amusing, and kept looking down at the girl before laughing.

He landed with ease, and Katara watched the girl slowly pry her arms from around Aang's body. She turned, and Katara immediately recognized it to be On-Ji. She had gotten even prettier than when Katara had first met her; she saw why Aang had immediately been drawn to her.

"Aang!" Hakoda exclaimed in excitement, bringing the airbender in for a tight hug. "How've you been? I didn't see you last night at the greeting!"

"Uh yeah," Aang rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "I was a bit busy, I didn't realize I had missed it."

"That's okay Twinkle-Toes, the festival's the best part anyway!" Toph said excitedly, punching him on the arm.

Aang looked around at the group and grinned. He made brief eye contact with Katara.

"It's good to see you A-"

"Guys, this is On-Ji," Aang cut Katara off, moving his eyes away from her to smile down at the pretty girl standing next to him. "I ran into her a few days ago, she's an old friend from my adventures back in the day."

Everyone gave her a friendly greeting, but Katara was too busy looking down at her feet to join in. Was Aang really that upset?

"Enough of this Fire Nation nonsense," Sokka piped up, taking another large handful of Fire Flakes out of his bag. "Where's the Water Tribe section?"

"I think it's up ahead," Bumi answered.

They began walking but Katara stayed put, watching the back of Aang's head. She had never meant for it to turn out like this…

"It'll be alright," Zuko was behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

The warmth of his palm seemed to spread throughout her entire body, and she let her eyes slip closed, taking a calming breath.

"I know," she whispered, opening her eyes back up. "I just didn't think it would be this hard…I still care about him."

"Just give him time," Zuko replied, and she realized how truly close he had gotten to her. "He'll come around."

Katara could feel his breath on her neck, and she couldn't help but lean back, letting her back press against his front. The warmth consumed her, and she felt him exhale before moving his lips to her ear.

"You shouldn't be doing that, Katara," he whispered, sending excited chills down her neck. "This isn't supposed to be public yet, remember?"

"Then stop standing so close to me," Katara breathed, a part of her confused as to how Zuko could affect her so much.

Zuko let out a slight laugh, moving to start placing kisses on her neck, and she sighed at the blissful feeling.

"Where's Sparky?"

Toph's questioning tone carrying from the group that had gotten significantly ahead of them brought Katara to her senses. She jumped away from Zuko, a little sad at the loss of warmth. She saw Zuko run hurriedly in front of her, trying to make it look as if they hadn't been back there together. With a sigh she began walking slowly after him.

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

* * *

"My kid, he's gonna be a warrior!" Sokka exclaimed in excitement, slamming his cup a little harder than necessary on the wooden table. "I'm gonna teach him everything I know!"

"Don't forget who taught you some of your skills," Suki crossed her arms, an amused smirk on her lips. "He _or_ she should probably know their mom is the real ass-kicker."

Katara watched her Dad laugh at the exchange between the couple. He had been over-joyed when Suki had announced her pregnancy, surprising Katara. After all, he was a man of tradition, and it was never tradition for you to be pregnant out of wed-lock. She had an inkling he was just excited about receiving a grandchild.

She looked around at the round table they had been sitting at, a small smile on her face. The entire group was together again, smiling and having a joyful dinner together. They had seen the rest of the festival, each nation represented in their own unique ways.

The Earth Kingdom had been represented by their abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. They were stands with every color of the rainbow of produce, piled high in brown wicker baskets. There was a stand that represented the Kyoshi Warriors, with a table set-up for anyone who wanted their faces painted in the Kyoshi way. There were also tea carts scattered throughout the section, one of them being run by a beaming Iroh, who gave them all a free cup.

The Water Tribe was represented beautifully, with the emblem on flags everywhere they turned. There were many different foods from the North and South Poles that Katara had remembered all too well, and she had made sure to have one sample of everything. There were waterbenders in the center, with synchronized techniques that kept her captivated for hours. She loved the way water flowed, and had to be yanked away when it was time for them to move on.

The Air Temples had been a little tricky, but Aang seemed like he was overall pleased. With a constructed three-dimensional map, they had put together a clear image of all four of the temples and where they were located. There was a stand with different Air Nomad clothing and medallions for sale, as well as thousands of books covering the long history of the Air Nomads.

By the time they had made their way through the festival, it had grown dark, and the evening festivities began. Round wooden tables had been brought to the center area of the city, with a beautiful view of the sunset. There were food vendors on all sides, with a buffet-style layout. Sokka had gone absolutely nuts, and Suki commented she was the one eating for two, not him.

So now they were watching the last of the sun's rays disintegrate into the night sky, and the bright stars fill the dark blue above. Aang was holding hands with On-Ji, and it was then that Katara truly knew she didn't have any romantic feelings for him anymore. She would have been flaming with jealousy a year ago, but now she was just happy he had found someone who could put a smile back on his face.

Hakoda had wandered off with Bumi, discussing the inner-workings of earthbending and how it could come in handy when building homes. Toph was holding her spoon up, bending the metal for Haru to see.

"It's all about _feeling_ the element," Toph tried to explain, a grin on her face. "You try."

She handed Haru the spoon, and he furrowed his eyebrows in deep concentration, his eyes focused on the spoon. Katara heard him grunting softly, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"You'll get it eventually," Toph laughed, giving him a light punch on the arm.

There was a sudden tinkering noise that echoed its way across the vast area of tables. The subtle chatter of the crowd died down, their focus on the platform that rose slightly higher than the tables off the ground. There was an elderly councilman holding an empty wine glass, tapping on it with a spoon to get the attention of the people. When the area was completely silent, Zuko stood, a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you all for joining us in the fourth year celebration of the end of the Hundred-Year War!" he exclaimed joyfully, and there was a round of applause as Katara smiled with pride.

"I hope you all enjoyed the festivities, and the representations of each of the nations," Zuko continued. "This festival is not only about the end of a war, but the beginning of a new era. An era of peace and kindness was my goal when I became Fire Lord, and I strive every day to uphold that goal."

There was a polite round of applause once again, along with a few cheers of excitement from some people.

"Many years ago, my father-"

"Katara?"

Katara's attention was ripped away from Zuko by the sound of Aang's voice behind her.

"Aang?" She whispered, turning around to look up at him. "What is it?"

"Can uh…" Aang looked away nervously before making eye contact with her once more. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Of course," she consented, standing up from her seat.

The others did not seem to notice their conversation, still hung up on Zuko's speech. Katara did notice that On-Ji wasn't there though.

They walked a few yards away next to the side of a building. There was only a partial view of the crowd, and Katara looked over her shoulder before meeting eyes with Aang.

"Where's On-Ji?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"She went to the bathroom and to say hello to her Mom and Dad. But listen Katara, we need to talk."

"Aang, I need to talk to you too-"

"Please, Katara," Aang cut her off, holding his hand up with his eyes squeezed shut. "I really need to get this out."

She was taken aback, but didn't say a word, motioning for him to continue.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been around these last few days," Aang began, twisting his hands together nervously. "It hasn't exactly been an easy time."

"I understand," Katara whispered.

"And I'm sorry I brought a girl with me," Aang continued, his gray eyes locking with her blue ones. "I'm not sure how this stuff works, if it's too soon or-"

"It's not too soon, Aang. In fact, it makes it a lot easier for-"

"I want you to know that she makes me happy," Aang interrupted Katara, clearly caught up on getting all of this off his chest. "She makes me happier than I've been in a long time."

Katara knew there was no use in getting her two cents in until he was completely finished.

"I know things are going to be awkward for a while," he continued softly. "But I hope we can stay friends through this whole thing. I still care about you."

"I still care about you too, Aang," she whispered, giving him a small smile.

He smiled back at her, but it never reached his eyes. He looked away from her, his focus on his feet.

"But right now, I need some time to heal," he admitted, his voice low. "I need some time to process all of this, and become happy again."

"Aang, I completely understand," Katara insisted, feeling her heart beat faster in her nervousness. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, something you need to know about-"

"-the Avatar!"

Aang and Katara's conversation was cut short by the exclamation from Zuko, followed by a loud and encouraging round of applause.

"Aang, come on up here!" a councilman hollered, and Aang came out from around the corner, a deep blush on his cheeks.

The crowd continued to cheer and Katara watched him wave at everyone while walking towards the platform. She felt her exasperation growing as she realized, once again, her confession had been interrupted. It was really starting to grind on her nerves.

"-has been here for me since the very beginning," Zuko was speaking with clear admiration for Aang, a broad grin on his face. "He was there in my darkest moments, and brought me to see a better life. Along with my Uncle Iroh."

Katara listened to Zuko's speech, proud of the man he had become. Five years ago, the Zuko she knew would never have stood up there and given such a heart-warming speech. He would never stand up there with praise and admiration for others, or admit his mistakes. But in the last moments she had had with him before the final battle she had watched him change. Watch him grow into a man that would rule a nation, and change it for the better.

"I hope you all enjoy the evening festivities," Zuko was closing his speech now, motioning towards the sky. "Fireworks are a big tradition in the Fire Nation."

The crowd let out a deafening round of applause, and Zuko bowed before sitting down in his royal chair once more.

* * *

After his speech, Zuko had finished his meal, and left the royal stand for the evening. He had announced that he was going to enjoy the festivities, and taken off his heavier robes, back to his more casual outfit underneath.

He had joined his friends at the table, watching as they oohed and ahhed at the fireworks show, Toph making jokes about how she couldn't see anything. He watched Haru place his hand gently in Toph's, and heard him describing the colors and designs in a low mumble in her ear. He watched her cheeks turn pink, while she smiled, obviously touched by such a caring gesture.

He watched Aang and his new girlfriend (On-Ji maybe?), holding hands under the table, her snuggled underneath his chin like she belonged there. He watched Aang's smile never leave his face, while every once in a while leaning down to give her a small kiss on the head.

He watched Sokka wrap his arms around Suki, snuggling into her neck while she giggled. He watched Suki pat her stomach every once in a while, and Sokka give her a reassuring and confident smile before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

He watched Katara, who watched the fireworks with child-like wonder, the lights reflecting beautifully in her bright blue eyes. He watched her casting quick worried looks at Aang, before letting her eyes move back to the display. He watched her make eye contact with him, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that drove him wild before turning to stare back into the sky.

Then the night continued, and the music began. The band played songs for each of the Nations, and it wasn't long before a majority of the crowd was on its feet, dancing joyfully throughout the closed streets. Alcohol was now being served, and Zuko had ordered a rather large glass for himself, feeling a bit stressed about the worry-lines that wouldn't leave Katara's forehead.

Had she talked to Aang yet? Were they still keeping this a secret? Because right now, all Zuko wanted to do was wrap his arms around her from behind and kiss that spot on her neck that made her putty in his arms.

He sighed, glancing down at his empty glass. This was his third drink now, and he was still sitting at that damn table. Sokka and Suki had left about a half an hour ago, Sokka confessing his deep love for Suki the entire time. Suki had announced that Sokka had had "one too many drinks" and seeming a tad annoyed, walked him back to the palace. Aang and On-Ji had left a while ago, dancing together in a way that had Zuko impressed; he never knew Aang could dance like that.

So there they were, just he and Katara on opposite ends of the table, having more drinks than they should without saying a word to one another. He knew why of course; it was just too dangerous for them to be any closer to one another without blowing their cover.

Katara's eyes never left Aang, that same look of concern etched on her face. Zuko was worried her face might freeze that way if she kept it up any longer.

"Hey," Zuko spoke, his voice a bit hoarse from not talking for so long. "You want to get out of here?"

She turned to him with a dazed look on her face, shaking her head as if bringing herself back to reality. She looked down at her empty glass, sighing with what Zuko could only assume was disdain as she realized how many drinks she had had already.

"Yeah we probably should," she replied softly, standing up quickly.

She swayed just slightly, and Zuko chuckled before standing up from his own chair. He realized he wasn't exactly sober either, the world a bit out of balance as he began to walk toward her. They made their way through the dancing crowd, and Zuko watched the sexy sway of her hips as she led the way. They seemed more exaggerated this time; as if she was seducing him on purpose.

They rounded a corner, and Zuko was relieved to see it was abandoned. Somewhere along the way, Katara had picked up two more cups with drinks in them, and handed one to Zuko without a word. He just looked at her for a minute before taking it from her, wondering if she was okay.

"Did you talk to him?" he asked, breaking the ongoing silence between them.

"No," Katara answered bitterly, taking a long sip of her drink before continuing. "Every time I tried to tell him, he would cut me off or we would be interrupted."

"Have you tried talking to him since then?" Zuko questioned, taking a drink as well.

"He won't even acknowledge me," she snapped, a scowl forming on her face. "He told me he needed time to get over everything and heal…but I didn't think that meant he wasn't going to talk to me at _all_."

"It'll be alright," Zuko soothed, taking a step closer to her. "He's just an emotional guy. He'll get over it soon enough."

He gently took the drink from her grasp, placing his and hers on the ground a bit away from them, before returning to his original spot in front of her. Katara locked eyes with him, and he was reminded how very close they were. The alcohol was pumping through his veins, and he was feeling a bit bolder than usual. He let his fingers slide through her hair, and watched her beautiful eyes slip closed.

"We're all alone now," Zuko whispered, letting his hand drag down her arm. "No one can see us right now."

"We really shouldn't," Katara's attempt at arguing was half-hearted, as she took a step closer to him. "Someone might come down here."

Zuko chuckled, letting both of his hands trail up and down the trail of her exposed hips. He marveled in the softness of her skin, watching her jaw slacken; her eyes still hadn't opened. He leaned in, his mouth inches away from her ear and heard her breathing quicken.

"You worry too much," he whispered, and heard her gasp in surprise at his warm breath on ear.

"Zuko," she groaned, more needy than argumentative.

"What?" he asked innocently, his mouth never leaving its torturous spot. "Is something wrong?"

Her eyes shot open, and with surprising strength, Zuko felt himself being pushed until his back was pressed up against the wall.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, her face inches from his.

"I'm not doing anything," Zuko replied innocently, a playful smirk on his face. "Did I do something wrong?"

Katara growled in frustration, her eyes moving down to his lips before moving back up to meet his.

"We might get caught," she breathed, and Zuko swore he could hear her rapid heartbeat.

"That makes it more fun," he teased, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

It seemed that was all the encouragement she needed, because next thing Zuko knew, her lips were pressed firmly up against his. He let out a small groan, immediately reaching for her to pull her closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers grazing softly in the hair on the nape of his neck.

She turned her head to the side, deepening the kiss with a satisfied moan. He let his tongue slide into her mouth, and she quickly obliged. Their tongues danced and hands slid up and down each other's bodies, Zuko losing all track of time. He could stay her forever, Katara's body pressed deliciously close to his, the cold of her skin warming his over-heated temperature.

She was suddenly grinding her hips into his, creating a delicious friction that had him breaking the kiss to let his head fall back against the wall. She began kissing his neck, and Zuko tried to keep his noises under control as she continued her slow and steady movements on his bottom half.

"What's wrong Zuko?" she asked with a giggle, letting her hands slide down his chest and abdomen. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"You know exactly what you're doing," he growled, his eyes squeezing shut as her hands made their way to the waistband of his pants.

He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol that was making them this bold, or if they had just gotten too confident. They were so close to the crowd he could still hear the slight hum of conversation in the background, the music blaring loudly. He knew that someone could come by at any moment-

"Katara," he gasped, putting his hands gently around her wrists, keeping them from slipping any farther into his pants. "We can't do this out here…"

"I thought you said that's what made it more fun?" she asked, a seductive gleam in her eyes that made Zuko a little weak at the knees.

This girl…

"I've got a better idea," he suggested, moving away from the wall to walk behind her.

"What's that?" she whispered, falling into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Zuko smirked before trailing gentle kisses up her neck, moving his lips to her ear.

"Wanna come to the palace with me?"


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I have no excuses for such a long wait on the update. School and writing a fanfiction while working a full time job does not mix very well, and I'm sorry for that. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it.**

 **I picked up right where the last chapter left off, so you may need to re-read it to understand what is going on. This chapter is rated a hard M for very sexual situations ;)**

 **Happy Reading!**

Katara wasn't sure how Zuko always seemed to have this effect on her.

She remembered his request, the way it sent delicious goosebumps down her spine. She must have consented, because he grabbed her hand and hastily pulled her down empty side roads. They avoided the crowd, the guards, anyone who would have questions about where they were going. She remembered being surprised by how quickly they had made it to the palace, and how they had tip-toed past the palace servants with ease.

Now Zuko was pushing his door open with impatience, and Katara got a quick glimpse of his large bed before she was swung around, back pressed against the recently closed door.

"Impatient, Zuko?" Katara meant to sound teasing, but her voice strained as he immediately began trailing kisses down her neck.

He chuckled, his hands sliding slowly under her shirt.

"Something like that."

His hands moved up her stomach, dangerously close to her breasts as she arched her back for better contact. She let out a loud sigh as his lips replaced his hands, kissing up her abdomen and back down again.

"Are you just going to keep teasing me all day?" Katara groaned, pressing the back of her head into the door.

"I don't think I'm the one who's impatient, Katara," Zuko mumbled into her stomach, and she could just imagine the smug grin on his face.

She would have done something to punish him for his arrogance, she really would have, but Katara was completely caught off guard when she felt his hands moving up her skirt. His fingers caressed her inner thigh, and the heat of his skin on hers was enough to drive her wild. Little noises slipped from her mouth, and she lifted her hips, hoping to speed the process along. Zuko refused to comply, his hands coming close to her center, before heading back down her thigh to her knee once more. She let her hands slip into his soft and shaggy hair, becoming more and more frustrated.

"Zuko," she finally growled, gripping his hair tightly. " _Please_ …."

"Please what?" Zuko grinned up at her, feigning innocence as his eyes met hers.

"You know exactly _what_ ," she hissed, letting her grip out of his hair to glare at him. "Stop playing games."

Zuko laughed, standing up once more so that his face was slightly above hers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he whispered, that same cocky grin on his face.

Katara was too impatient and sexually tense for this nonsense. With a frustrated growl and an impressive amount of strength, she flipped them over, pinning Zuko up against the door now.

"You want to play?" Katara whispered, watching Zuko's eyes widen in obvious surprise. "We can play."

She moved her hands down his chest, her movements quicker than his had been. Her fingers fumbled with the hem of his shirt, but she was able to get a good grip on it before hastily pulling it over his head.

Katara wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, or the built-up sexual tension, but she was desperate for this. She needed Zuko, needed him to touch her, and the heat of his embrace.

Now.

She let her hands slide down his bare chest; he had grown significantly since the last time she had gotten a good look at him. Shoulders more broad with his arms and chest toned and muscular, Katara was more than satisfied with the man Zuko had become. She watched the muscles ripple under her feather-light touch, Zuko letting his head fall back onto the door with a low groan.

"How does that feel, Zuko?" she asked, letting her fingers trail down to the top of his pants.

"Nice," he breathed, his eyes squeezing shut as she dipped her fingers under the elastic waistband.

She let out a slight laugh, and moved her hands away so she could begin lifting her shirt over her head. When she pulled it off she watched Zuko's eyes fall to her chest, looking so aroused it made Katara squirm.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked with a sly grin.

 _When had she become so_ bold _?!_ Katara wondered with surprise. _It must be the alcohol…_

"You have no idea," Zuko growled, and with a gentle shove, he began pushing her until the back of her knees hit the bed.

Katara giggled when he pushed her shoulders, falling with a soft whoosh onto the plush red bedspread. He just grinned before crawling on top of her, a look of longing in his eyes.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," Zuko admitted, looking embarrassed by his confession as his cheeks turned pink.

Katara's heart swelled, and she reached up to caress his face, bringing his eyes back to meet hers.

"Me too," she whispered, smiling warmly at him. "I'm sorry this ever ended."

He kept eye contact with her, an unspoken love communicated between them. There was only a few seconds to their pause before Zuko went back to what he was doing.

He lowered his hips onto hers, and they let out a collective groan at the feeling. Katara immediately arched her back, the feeling of his prominent erection on her center enough to drive her crazy.

"Oh my gosh," she sighed, her eyes slipping shut. "I missed this…"

Zuko didn't say much, just ground his hips into hers again, causing her to cry out in pleasure. She heard his breathy chuckle, and it wasn't long before he was picking up a steady but slow rhythm. It was maddening, and Katara knew she wasn't the only one affected. She could hear his ragged breathing, and it became progressively louder and faster as more time went by.

They seemed to be lost in the sensation, the only noise heard being their sighs and Katara's occasional mewls. It wasn't long before she grew impatient, needing more than just this frustratingly slow rhythm.

"Zuko," she begged, and she realized she seemed to do that a lot with him. "You're killing me here…"

He leaned in and kissed her deeply, his tongue feeling as if it was on fire as it slipped into her mouth. She let her own tongue dance with his, her hands reaching up to slide up and down his defined back and shoulders. He moved his mouth to the side of her neck, placing gentle kisses along the skin as he made his way to her ear. She immediately tensed, this being a particularly sensitive spot for her.

"You keep telling me how impatient you are," Zuko whispered in her ear, causing Katara to gasp and shiver. "But you won't tell me what it is you want."

"You _know_ what I want," she hissed, her voice strained as she wrapped her legs around him to push him even closer to her. "And judging by your current _situation_ , I'd say you want it too."

At her words she ground her hips against his, earning a surprised moan that slipped from Zuko's throat as his eyes squeezed shut.

He gave her one last deep kiss before moving to her breasts, taking them into his hands. He squeezed just gently enough to send shots of pleasure through Katara's body. She arched her back off the bed, and Zuko took the opportunity to reach behind her and start unwrapping her top bindings. Katara kept her position until the bindings were completely removed, watching his every move.

Zuko lowered his mouth to her skin once more. His blazing tongue combined with the sudden cold air on her nipples had her toes curling. He was so _good_ at this, and it had her barely able to keep her sounds under control.

"I think I found a sweet spot," Zuko muttered, the vibrations from his voice sending down another wave of pleasure.

He continued his torture for a few minutes, but it wasn't long before he was making his way down her body. Her hands slipped from his back as his mouth moved to just above the middle of her, his fingers playing with the top of her skirt.

"May I?" he asked, an eyebrow raised as he looked up at her with a teasing smirk.

"You can do anything you want, Zuko," Katara answered with a playful grin, remembering their very first time they had done this.

He laughed, recognizing her reference, and hooked his fingers underneath the top of her skirt to slowly slide it down. The cool air on her bare legs was quickly replaced by his hands, which felt as if he was bending fire right out his palms. Katara found the warmth enticing, and spread her legs in the hopes he would finally give her what she wanted.

It seemed he got the message, his fingers coming up to press on her most sensitive spot through her bindings. She cried out in surprise, lifting her hips off the bed for more pressure. He gently pressed her back onto the bed, fingers picking up a wonderful rhythm as she grinded against his hand. They continued like this for a few moments, but Katara knew if it continued much longer she would finish before they got to the good stuff.

"Zuko," she said urgently, trying half-heartedly to reach for his hands. "We've gotta stop, or I'm gonna-"

She let out another moan, and he chuckled lightly before removing his fingers. The lack of warmth disappointed Katara, but she sat up anyway, making eye contact with him.

"It's my turn," she said, and Zuko's eyebrows raised as he watched her move to the top of the bed. "Lay down."

He consented without a word, crawling back to the middle of the bed so he could lay across it. She waited for him to get situated and climbed on top of him, slowly lowering her body.

She heard him hiss, and she grinned before letting her hands roam up and down his sides. She moved to the middle of him, letting her hands roam down the ridges of his defined abs. She could hear his deep breathing, and heard his satisfied groan as she trailed her fingers across his hardened nipples.

Katara could feel exactly how turned on he was pressed up against her inner thigh, and she wasted no time making sure this was as torturous for him as possible. With quick moves like the water-ninja she was, she pulled his pants off and threw them to the side. He seemed surprised, sitting up quickly and propping himself on his elbows.

"What are you-"

The rest of his words were swallowed by a deep groan at the back of his throat, his head falling hard back on to the pillows. She had grasped him gently through his undergarments, fingers tickling up and down his length. He arched his back, grinding his hips up to meet her too-light fingers as she teased him. Continuous moans slipped from his lips, and Katara was growing more and more aroused as she watched him.

"Do you like that?" she asked him, gripping him more firmly and moving a bit faster up and down.

"Yes," he answered breathily, hips twitching upward when she tightened her hold.

She stopped, Zuko's hips immediately lowering so he could sit up to look at her. He gave her a questioning look, a hint of pure disappointment in his expression. He went from disappointed to surprised when she pulled his undergarments off, freeing his erection from its constraints. She gripped him lightly, and he once again fell back onto the pillows.

Katara had some experience this time around, and wanted to show Zuko what she had learned. She started her up and down movements, slowly increasing speed and listening to the sounds of his heavy breathing. She twisted her wrist ever so slightly, smiling when she heard Zuko cry out in obvious pleasure.

"Where did you-" he moaned again, as Katara twisted her wrist once more "- _learn_ that…?!"

"Just a little something I picked up," she replied with a grin, repeating the motion so she could hear the delicious sounds coming from Zuko's mouth.

She continued her movements, enjoying her view. With his hair hanging in his face and his lip lodged between his teeth, Zuko was just about the sexiest thing Katara had ever seen. She had forgotten how vocal he was in bed, and could barely contain her own pleasure listening to those beautiful sounds that slipped from his lips like clockwork.

She watched him grind his hips upwards, and soon imagined those same movements being performed on her. It wasn't long before she was impatient with need once more, knowing this had gone on long enough.

Zuko seemed to feel the same way, because next thing she knew he was sitting up, placing his hand gently over hers.

"You've gotta quit doing this or I'm not gonna make it," he panted, moving her hand off of him and wiping some sweaty hair off of his forehead.

Katara nodded, and moved to the middle of the bed, laying on her back with her head on the pillows. Completely exposed, she made eye contact with Zuko.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

Zuko let out a low groan, quickly but gracefully crawling on top of her. His lips crashed down onto hers, and she responded eagerly, lips moving in a quick and desperate rhythm. He pulled away after a few moments, reaching down to line himself up with her.

This time, there was no need for warnings or "are you ready?" questions. Experience was bliss in this situation, and Katara dug her nails into Zuko's back as he thrust completely inside of her.

They cried out in unison, and it didn't take long for Zuko to pick up a comfortable rhythm for both of them. They swallowed each other's moans, their lips meeting and tongues dancing. Katara moved against him, making him go deeper than he had been before.

"Oh my gosh," she groaned, wrapping her legs around him so that she could keep him place. "Please just stay right there."

Zuko answered her with a strained groan, his forehead pressed against hers as he twisted his hips in a circular motion. The circles became choppy and his breathing more labored as they continued the friction that was driving them both crazy.

"Katara," he mumbled, the heat of his breath on her lips. "I'm not gonna….last much longer…"

Katara felt the same, a wonderful pulling sensation seeming to come from inside of her, begging to be released.

"Just keep going," she encouraged him, loosening her legs so he could move in and out once more. "I'm not going to last long either."

This was all Zuko needed to hear, quickening his movements almost instantly, his breathing hard and ragged.

"Don't stop," Katara moaned, lifting her hips to meet his every thrust.

"I couldn't if I wanted to," Zuko replied breathily, another strained groan coming from his throat. "Oh my gosh…"

She could tell he was nearing the end, his thrusts becoming harder and much more uneven. She relished in the feeling, knowing she was right at the peak, just waiting to fall joyfully down.

"Ahh!" Zuko cried out, and Katara felt his warmth pour inside of her as he thrust hard and fast.

This seemed to be the push she needed, because she came as well, letting out an embarrassingly loud cry as her back arched off the bed. She rode the waves of pleasure, her eyes squeezed shut and her bottom lip clenched painfully between her teeth. She felt him collapse on top of her, his head falling onto her chest as she slowly came down from her high.

Their breathing slowed together, and it wasn't long before Katara's beating heart slowed its rhythm and she was able to think coherently once more. Zuko moved from being completely on top of her, then laid next to her with his head on her chest. She flicked her wrist, half conscious, using her "Gran-Gran's trick" to remove what was inside of her. Her eyes remained closed, eyelids too heavy to lift open. When she was finished, she brought her hands blindly into Zuko's hair, lazily stroking the soft tendrils as she listened to his steady breathing.

"I love you," she whispered, feeling the heaviness of sleep coming upon her.

"I love you too," she heard him mumble.

That was the last thing she remembered before she fell into a blissful sleep.

* * *

Katara stirred, aware that something had woken her up, she just didn't know what.

She could feel something heavy and extremely warm on top of her. After a moment of thought, she remembered it was Zuko, and with her eyes still closed, she smiled.

"Fire Lord Zuko!"

Katara's eyes snapped open, listening to the loud raps on the door. So _this_ was what had woken her up.

"Zuko!" she hissed, shaking his sleeping form. "Zuko, wake up!"

Zuko stirred, and it reminded her that they were both completely naked underneath the blanket.

"What?" he mumbled, half asleep and unmoving.

"Zuko, there's someone at the door," Katara whispered urgently, desperately trying to pull the blanket out from under Zuko's grasp so she could cover herself more securely.

"Fire Lord Zuko, it's very important that you wake up!" someone shouted on the other end, obviously becoming more and more annoyed.

She watched Zuko sit up almost at the speed of light, his hair sticking up on the side he had been laying. She snatched the blanket up, pulling it to her chin as she watched Zuko scramble out of bed.

"Yes!" he called distractedly, pacing around the room looking for his pants. "Yes! I'm awake!"

"Good!" she heard the servant call from the other end. "The farewell breakfast has almost ended and you have still not made an appearance!"

"Thank you, Shin!" Zuko shouted to the closed door, his tone sharp. "I will be there in just a _minute_!"

There was no response, and Katara assumed Shin had gotten the message that Zuko needed some privacy.

"Shit," he whispered under his breath, still unable to locate his pants.

Katara took pity on him, keeping the blanket over herself and crawling out of his bed to help him. She found them almost instantly, and with a smirk she picked them up, handing them to him.

"Thanks," he sighed, giving her a small smile before pulling them on.

Katara picked up her clothes as well, pulling them on quickly and turning back to face Zuko. He still looked panicked, standing in front of his full length mirror and half-heartedly trying to flatten his hair. It reminded her how much responsibility and pressure was put on his 20 year old shoulders.

"Relax," she soothed, coming from behind to smile at him in the mirror. "Everything's going to be fine."

"A Fire Lord isn't late," Zuko scowled, his golden eyes meeting her blue ones in the mirror. "It's not-"

"Honorable?" Katara teased, pulling water from a nearby glass and circling it slowly into the palm of her hand. "Zuko, it's one mistake. I'm sure the nation will forgive you."

She moved her hand on top of his hair that was sticking up, and using the water, flattened it smoothly back into place.

"There," Katara smiled at him in the mirror, and he gave her a half-smile back. "They really should make this festival more than one day. Saying farewell already seems so….sad."

"I agree," Zuko replied, walking to a door that she assumed was his closet, and pulling it open.

She followed him, gasping when she saw the inside. It was less like a closet and more like a narrow hallway, both sides decorated with red and black clothes of every style for every season. She watched him move through the clothes with ease, spotting a rack of shoes at the very back of the closet. She noticed most of the pairs looked exactly the same.

"Wow!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes wide. " _This_ is your closet?"

"Being royalty _does_ have its perks," Zuko popped his head out to smile at her.

He pulled what he was looking for off the hanger, and she watched him put the outfit on, admiring his body from afar. She couldn't believe she was lucky enough to call him hers.

"The festival can only be one day," Zuko continued, walking out of the closet with his more formal attire on. "Because it was designed so that everyone can enjoy it without having to miss their work or schooling. The idea was to have everything presented to you in one day, so that no one would miss anything. It also represents the changes that were made in just one day; that even in the darkest of times, the Avatar brought light into the world in just one day."

"That's beautiful," Katara breathed, her eyes shining with admiration. "I never thought of it like that."

Zuko simply nodded, giving himself one swift glance in the mirror again before turning to her.

"You better get back to everyone else," he suggested. "If they see us together…well. Obviously Aang will know."

"Right," Katara lowered her eyes to the ground, just as tired of the secrets as Zuko was.

She walked to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked down at her, wrapping his arms around her middle. She leaned up and kissed him deeply, feeling him pull her tighter. When she broke the kiss, she pressed her forehead to his with her eyes closed.

"Last night was wonderful," she whispered. "I promise, I will talk to Aang by tomorrow night. I'm just as tired of this as you are."

Zuko laughed softly, and Katara smiled. He gave her one more quick squeeze before gently pulling away.

"See you soon?" she asked, walking backwards towards the door.

"Yes," he replied with a smile, motioning for her to leave. "Now go. Before Shin comes back."

With one more wistful glance, Katara pushed the door open, and snuck off.

* * *

"You can't hold onto me forever!"

Mai rolled her eyes at Han Rha's empty threats, not even sparing him a backwards glance as she continued to steer the airship.

"I'll keep you as long as I want," she shot back. "We are going to stop this. I can't let this happen."

"Mai, we've only captured one guy," Ty Lee piped up, coming to stand next to her friend. "You heard the general. They have an army of over a thousand men!"

"That doesn't matter," Mai replied, sounding a lot braver than she felt. "We will send out letters to the Order of the White Lotus, we'll send some to the Southern and Northern Water Tribes, we can even send some to the Earth-"

Han Rha was quietly laughing, and Mai spun on her heel to scowl at him.

"Is something _funny_?"

He was sitting on the floor of the small airship, his wrists and ankles bound. Ty Lee had taken his water satchel awhile back, to keep him defenseless. His hair hung in front of his eyes as he looked at the floor, but Mai could still see the evil grin on his face.

"You think you can send a letter to some rag-tag team of fighters and stop the Dai Lee?"

"It is not a 'rag-tag team'" Ty Lee snapped at him. "Those men and women fought for our peace, and they will do it again. They-"

"You think you will contact them in time?" Han Rha looked up, a smirk on his face as he looked at the two girls. "We just left the Western Air Temple, on the opposite side of the world from the Fire Nation. You're too late."

He laughed at this again, but Mai wasn't having any of it.

"The letters only take a couple of days," she insisted, her voice low as she began pacing with her hands behind her back. "We will send them out at the nearest stop, let everyone know what's going on, then meet them at the Fire Nation. After that-"

"A couple days is not enough time, you foolish girl!" Han Rha spat, clearly annoyed with Mai. "By that time, Azula will have the crown on her head!"

"What are you talking about?" Ty Lee asked, her eyes growing wide.

"You're too late," he answered her slowly, his eyes shining with excitement.

Mai felt panicked, sharing a wide-eyed look with Ty Lee. "I thought the festival was still days away? I thought you said it was _after_ the festival?"

"The festival has passed," Han Rha said darkly. "And Azula is breaking free."

He grinned once more, letting out a low chuckle.

"Tonight."

* * *

Azula was pacing her cell, excitement bursting through her veins. Chang had run to the small window, his hands gripping the bars as he made eye contact with her.

"You've called the ones needed in, told them to be here?"

"Of course, they should be here any minute," Chang replied.

"And the girl," Azula continued, "Suki, have they gotten her?"

"The agents responsible are on that mission as we speak."

Chang's eyes widened, and he looked down the vast cave-like hallway that was to his right. Azula could hear it too, shouting and what sounded like a fight coming to an end.

"Are you ready Princess?"

She simply grinned at him, coming to the door.

"The guards have all been taken down?"

"Yes, Princess Azula," Chang answered her with a smirk.

"You found the lava benders? They can bend me out of this volcano?"

Chang nodded, and Azula could hear the approaching Dai Lee agent's footsteps as they made their way to her cell. She wanted to make sure everything was in place; she wouldn't fail, not again.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, taking a few steps back from the cell door. "Get me out of here. Now!"

Chang nodded, now joining several earth bending agents, and they all exchanged eye contact before holding their hands up. As a unit they clenched their fists, seeming to grip the air as they concentrated on the door. The metal on the door began to distort, smashing together and making a horribly loud creaking noise.

Azula was laughing maniacally on the other end, watching them slowly pull the door off its hinges. With a collective grunt, the Dai Lee agents tossed the door to the side, and Azula slowly walked out of the cell. She inhaled deeply, her eyes closed. When she exhaled, her eyes shot back open, the golden orbs bright with a new passion.

"Finally."


	18. Chapter 18

Zuko was sitting on the edge of his bed, stretching while watching the sun rise out of his window.

It was the day after the farewells to all the guests of the festival. Katara was right; it _had_ been sad. So many people had been reunited, and just like that, they were leaving again. He had watched Katara hold back tears as she hugged her father goodbye; he had a feeling that no matter how many times she said goodbye to him, it would always affect her this way.

Zuko had longed to reach out to her and bring her into his arms. Wipe her tears away and assure her that Hakoda was going to be just fine. He wanted to take her on a walk along the palace grounds, show her the turtle ducks so he could see that smile that he had fallen in love with. Maybe manage to tell her one of Uncle's jokes without messing up the punch line just to hear her laugh.

He couldn't do any of those things however, because she _still_ hadn't talked to Aang.

When she had left his bedroom yesterday morning, he thought for sure they'd be spending another night together. He thought after the farewell breakfast, she would have rushed to tell Aang what was going on. Hours went by, and by the late afternoon, Zuko had been boiling in his room. He was impatient; had she even _attempted_ to talk to Aang yet? Why had she not come to see him all day?

It wasn't long before he had gone looking for her; he wasn't one to wait for these types of things.

 _Zuko approached the suite door, and took a calming breath before knocking sharply three times. He could hear the murmur of conversation come to a halt, and could distinctly hear Katara announcing that she would get it._

 _She pulled the door open slowly, and her eyes widened when she saw it was Zuko. He craned his neck, seeing that it was just Suki and Sokka sitting on the couch, but she walked out quickly, closing the door behind her._

" _Hi," she breathed, looking at him with a loving smile._

" _Hi," he replied, softening unintentionally under her gaze._

" _I've missed you," she admitted, and he watched her cheeks turn pink._

" _Why haven't you come to see me?" Zuko asked. "Have you talked to Aang yet?"_

" _He won't talk to me, Zuko," Katara answered despairingly. "That's what we were just discussing in there. Every time I try to say_ anything _to him, he either acts like he can't hear me, or walks away. And it's hard, because we've been in this big group all day, and he's with that On-Ji girl-"_

" _Maybe I should talk to him then," Zuko suggested firmly, feeling his agitation growing once more. "Since he's going to make this so difficult."_

" _I just have to catch him alone," Katara insisted. "I told you until tomorrow night, didn't I? I think tomorrow will be easier-"_

" _This has been going on for too long, Katara!" Zuko snapped, scowling at her. "If I talk to him, he won't suspect a thing and this will all be over with-"_

" _Zuko, you know why I don't want you to do that," Katara interrupted softly._

 _Zuko looked down at his feet, sighing deeply. Of course he knew; it would kill Aang._

" _One more day, Zuko," Katara whispered, caressing his cheek._

 _He looked up at her, and couldn't resist those wide blue eyes even if he wanted to._

" _Fine," he consented softly, "One more day."_

Zuko had given her a kiss he had been sorry to break, and walked back to his bedroom for the day. His servants had knocked and asked if he was alright, but he had played it off as a headache.

So here he was the next morning, practically counting down the hours until Katara's "one more day" was up, and he could go talk to the Avatar himself.

There was a sharp tap on the window, breaking his thoughts abruptly. He saw a jet black messenger hawk, its beady eyes staring straight at him. He hurried to open the window, the hawk soaring in with a loud screech. It landed on the footboard of Zuko's bed, immediately cleaning under one of its wings. He approached the bird, pulling a small piece of paper out of its satchel and unrolling it slowly.

 ** _Zuko,_**

 ** _I don't have time to explain much, but there is more going on out here than you know. You need to get out of the palace, gather everyone you can, and leave as soon as you see this letter._**

 ** _You are in mortal danger._**

 ** _Mai_**

Zuko held the letter in his hands, flipping it over to see if there was anything else. There was nothing, and he could feel his heart beginning to pound.

Mortal danger? What was she talking about? He needed to get everyone out now? Why didn't she have time to explain?

Before Zuko could form a plan, even wrap his mind around such an alarming message, his bedroom door was busted open. He spun around, watching the door fly off its hinges. His eyes widened when he watched about forty men come piling in, all clad in forest green armor.

"So good to see you again, Fire Lord Zuko."

* * *

Katara headed down the hallway right outside their suite, needing to see Zuko again. He was right- maybe it would be easier for him to talk to Aang himself. This had all been going on for quite some time, and she was getting just as impatient as Zuko was.

She paused for a moment, realizing how empty the hallways were. That was odd- it was the middle of the day after all. Where were the servants? Where were the guards? Usually the palace was filled with people bustling throughout the halls all day.

Katara spun quickly when she heard a loud bang, the sound reverberating off the walls. She covered her ears, her surprised yelp lost within the loud noise. She felt the palace shake underneath her feet, and her eyes widened. She took her hands away from her ears to spread her arms out and keep her balance, realizing the sound had come from where she had just left.

Her friends.

With a pounding heart, Katara bolted back toward the suite, praying to every spirit she could name that everyone was still alive.

 _Don't think like that, Katara._

She rounded the corner on the now-familiar path, unable to fathom the thought of losing anyone. When she made it to the suite door, to her horror she saw it had been broken into tiny pieces.

She paused. There was smoke pouring from the room, and she felt her eyes filling with tears.

"No," she whispered under her breath.

She jogged quickly to the smoke, coughing heavily and keeping an arm over her eyes.

"Sokka!" she called in between coughs. "Suki! Aang! Toph! Haru!"

She could hear commotion and quickly headed up the stairs. There were about 30 men, all clad in forest green armor, their backs to her.

The Dai Lee?

She rubbed her eyes, and could see Aang swirling around and moving the smoke out of the area. Toph was shooting pieces of broken wall at the men, while Sokka was frantically swiping his boomerang at every man that came near him.

Katara immediately jumped in, pulling the water out of her satchel and hit five men at once with her powerful water whip move. They were caught off-guard because they hadn't seen her, and it wasn't long before they were turning to gang up on her as well.

"Katara!" Toph shouted over the noise. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she called back, sending small ice shards at some of the men that were approaching her. "What happened?"

"We don't know," Aang answered her, shooting multiple fireballs out of his hands at random men. "We were all just sitting in the living room when we felt the explosion. Thankfully, Toph, Haru and I were able to shoot us up to the top floor so we weren't hit full blast."

Katara spared him a glance, seeing random cuts across his body, and she assumed it was from the debris. Haru was joining Toph's rock launching, his cheek cut open and blood trickling down his face. Katara's heart was pounding as she continued to join the others fighting the Dai Lee off.

"Katara!" Sokka yelled out to her, his voice sounding frantic and desperate. "Katara, I can't find Suki!"

"What?!" her heart skipped a beat, and with a whoosh her water whip fell to a puddle at her feet. "How long has she been missing?"

"I thought she was just taking a shower or something, since she wasn't in bed when I got up-"

He paused, whacking one of the Dai Lee members in the face and pulling himself out of the grasp of another one.

"-but when we all came up here after the explosion, and she wasn't here, I realized she was missing."

Katara's eyes widened, but she was quickly shaken out of her thoughts by one of the Dai Lee, grabbing her by the arms.

"Let- go of- me!" she struggled out of his grasp, shooting a blast of water at his face.

He spluttered, his grip loosening, and she was able to jump out of his reach.

Just then, Aang pounded onto the ground, shaking the entire floor underneath them. He started spinning making a powerful swirling air pocket while shooting fire out of his hands. Katara immediately jumped in, shooting large pointed icicles at anyone she could reach. Toph and Haru were capturing individual members by raising some of the floor and smooshing the men in between the pieces of stone. Sokka was tossing his boomerang, hitting men sharply in their faces before the boomerang would come spinning back to him.

After several minutes of this, Katara let out a sigh of relief. Every single member was on the floor, passed out.

"We did it," she breathed, looking around at her panting friends.

"For now," Sokka didn't sound convinced. "What do you think they-"

He stopped and they all exchanged wide-eyed looks when they heard loud yells and bangs coming from outside the room.

"I knew it wasn't over," he said darkly.

"We've got to go help them!" Aang jumped up, a look of sheer determination on his face as he already started speeding out the door. "Come on!"

They all ran after him, the noises getting louder and louder as they made their way down the winding hallways. Katara looked around in horror, many servants and guards unconscious or bleeding on the floors around them. A lump formed in her throat, knowing there's no way she would be able to help them in time. She wondered where Zuko was, her heart hammering, hoping he was okay-

A high-pitched scream came from up ahead, and Katara felt all the blood drain from her face.

"Suki!" Sokka yelled in desperation, pushing past the others and running up ahead.

They all followed after him, and Katara instantly recognized where they were. It was the arena where Zuko and Azula had had their Agni Kai all those years ago.

It was far from empty this time however, and all Katara could see was forest green everywhere she looked. The Dai Lee were fighting more guards, the guards crumbling under the sheer size of their enemy group. She stood in a state of shock, watching the badly out-numbered Fire Nation army that had shown up, trying to fight for their lives. When had the Dai Lee gained so many members? What did they want?

Sokka disappeared into the crowd, swiping his boomerang with impressive precision. Aang ran after him, a swirling air pocket surrounding him and knocking Dai Lee members off their feet. Toph and Haru headed the opposite direction, pulling stones from the fallen debris to launch at the men.

Katara went to run in after them, but saw a movement in her peripheral vision that made her turn. She saw Zuko, blasting a fire whip that had the many Dai Lee members surrounding him jumping back. His wrist was badly cut, and she could see that his opposite eye from his scar had a bruise developing underneath it. He threw another fireball, but the men dodged it with ease. His hair hung in his face, and he was panting hard, clearly wearing thin. One of the men hit him in the back with a water whip, and Katara could hear his pained cry from where she was standing. She watched him fall to his knees, losing his balance from the sharp impact. Her chest tightened, and she immediately turned to go help him.

"Zuko!" she called to him, her heart hammering in her ears- she couldn't let him fall.

He looked up, watching her run to him. His eyes widened, and he shook his head profusely back in forth. He held his hands up, signaling for her to stop. She froze, her eyebrows furrowing. Why didn't he want her help?

"Gotcha!"

Katara felt someone grab her roughly by the back of her shirt, and she cried out in protest. Her arms were pulled behind her back, two hands holding them firmly in place. She knew that voice all too, and she immediately began trying to wriggle out of her grasp.

"Not so fast," Azula all but whispered in her ear, her fingernails digging painfully into Katara's arms.

Katara immediately tried twisting her fingers, feeling her element that was swishing in her satchel. She began pulling it out, ready to ice Azula straight in the face, when she felt a hard pound on her upper shoulder. Her arm immediately fell limp, and before she knew it, she was being hit in all of her pressure points. Katara felt all the muscles in her body unwind, losing the strength in her legs as she fell to the ground.

"I knew all I'd have to do is have little Zu-Zu in a bit of trouble, and you would turn right up," Azula surmised, a gloating grin on her face.

Katara opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. This blocking of the chi was so much different from what she had experienced from Ty Lee- so much stronger.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to talk in a few minutes. Unfortunately, that specific effect is short-lived," Azula chuckled, smirking down at Katara. "I picked up on some of Tai Lee's tricks- and made them better."

"Azula!" Zuko yelled, his voice booming with rage. "Let her go! NOW!"

"And what are you going to do about it?" she taunted, lifting Katara up by the back of her shirt into a standing position.

Before Zuko could respond, Katara felt herself being lifted high into the air.

She moved her eyes downward, and was able to see that the portion of ground they were standing on was being lifted, by earthbending Dai Lee members no doubt. Azula laughed evilly as they slowly rose above the sea of battle underneath. Katara was able to look around, and to her dismay she saw all of the guards and army had been taken down. Only her friends were left in the battle, and they were severely outnumbered. She could see Sokka and Aang battling, but Toph and Haru were being held back by Dai Lee members, both looking rather limp. Katara figured they had been victim to the Chi-Blocking as well.

"Sokka," Azula sing-songed, and Katara watched Sokka instantly quit fighting, his eyes wide with shock when he saw how much she was elevated. "I have something- or should I say some _one_ \- you'll be interested in."

Another platform was raised, a weak looking Suki on her knees. A Dai Lee member stood behind her, looking straight ahead, still as a statue.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Sokka yelled, and a few of Azula's men grabbed him by his arms, holding him firmly in place. "LET HER GO!"

"Oh please," Azula rolled her eyes, waving her hand in annoyance. "I didn't hurt your precious girlfriend. She just got a slap from a shirshu's tongue is all. I needed a little bit of…..information."

"Azula, stop this now!" Aang was speaking up for the first time, looking up at her with pure rage. "Let Katara go, and end this."

Azula chuckled to herself before continuing, ignoring Aang's threats.

"But I _need_ your little friend here, Avatar. I didn't grab Katara specifically because she's the prettiest," she explained, shaking Katara's form a little bit. "There's more going on behind closed doors that I'm sure you're aware of."

"Azula!" Zuko shouted, struggling against the many men that were holding him back. "Stop!"

"Oh you mean he doesn't know?" Azula asked, feigning innocence as she looked between Zuko and Katara.

She snapped her fingers, and the men who were holding Zuko back began hitting him in all of his pressure points with uncharacteristic grace.

"Don't mess with his voice," Azula added quickly, a Dai Lee member halting his motion towards Zuko's lower neck. "I'm still speaking with him."

Katara's heart pounded in her chest. She wanted so badly to stop Azula, but with useless limbs and a numb voice box, all she could do was watch Aang's reaction from afar.

"You see Aang, Katara has been sneaking around behind your back," she continued, satisfied when she saw Zuko turn to putty in the Dai Lee's arms. "Doing _naughty_ things behind closed doors."

"Azula!" Zuko shouted again, a hint of panic in his voice.

Katara watched Aang's face fall, going from shock to sadness. She watched his eyebrows furrow, and a look of pure rage take over his features.

"You're lying!" he shouted, fists clenched with a murderous glare at Azula.

"Believe what you want," she replied, smirking before pointing to Suki. "I'm sure your friend here can confirm it for me."

With wide eyes and a softened expression, Aang looked over at Suki. The man behind her shook her shoulders roughly, and Suki nodded without making eye contact with Aang, silent tears rolling down her face.

"And it wasn't just recently either," Azula continued, obviously enjoying herself. "This has been going on long before the Hundred Year War even ended."

Katara watched in horror, unable to do a thing about this. Aang wasn't supposed to find out this way…

"You see, Zu-Zu and your girlfriend have been sneaking midnight kisses since he joined your little gang," Azula recounted. "She still chose you, but I guess that didn't work out, did it?"

"Aang…" Katara could hear Zuko was at a loss for words. "It…it wasn't like that…"

Aang's eyes fell to his feet, his body sagging in a hopeless sort of way. Katara's heart ached, and she could feel her eyes filling with tears. She had never meant for this to happen…

"Lock them up!"

It looked as if about ten Dai Lee members had come out of nowhere, carrying several large cages, a gleaming shade of some sort of silver metal. Before Aang could react, the men had grabbed him, locking him away in the cage. Sokka, Toph, and Haru were next, stuffed into the metal cages without much of a chance to fight.

"Pure platinum," Azula informed them. "You won't be able to bend your way out of those."

Aang looked up, locking eyes with Katara. She wanted to say she was sorry, wanted to give him a hug and tell him she never meant for it to be this way. She wanted to break him out of that cage and beg for his forgiveness.

But all she could do was watch as they whisked him and her friends away, his defeated face the last thing she saw.

"Now that we're all caught up," Azula smirked, looking directly at Zuko. "I want you to know why I brought your girlfriend up here."

Azula signaled to some Dai Lee members, and they grabbed Zuko, raising a chunk of ground up above to make a third podium. He and Azula were now facing each other on either side of the stadium.

"Leverage."

* * *

Leverage?

Zuko looked around at all the people below him. Many of his army men were badly injured, unconscious, or dead. He didn't want to think about that last one, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He wished he wasn't so limited right now, so he could fireball the man holding him back straight in the face.

"As you can see Zu-Zu, you and your friends are a little outnumbered," Azula sneered, motioning towards the arena full of his fallen men. "You've got no one left to fight for you. So I think it's about time you give up my rightful place as Fire Lord."

"I'll never give up the throne to you!" Zuko snapped.

"Are you sure?"

Zuko watched her lift Katara up by the back of the shirt again, and with an evil glint in her eye, a fireball formed in her free hand.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked quickly, his heart hammering in his chest.

"You won't give up the throne," Azula's tone was matter-of-fact, and Zuko watched Katara's eyes grow wide with panic, the fireball flames flickering in her eyes.

"So I'll have to take it back by force."

Zuko watched in terror as Azula brought the fireball uncomfortably close to Katara's limp arm.

"STOP!" Zuko cried out, his heart racing.

"Are you giving up the throne?" Azula asked simply, looking unfazed.

"This won't change anything-"

"Very well then."

The sound of Katara's screams echoed across the arena. Zuko's eyes widened as he watched Azula put the fireball right on Katara's skin.

"AZULA!" Zuko was begging now, falling to his knees as his voice carried over the screams. "STOP! _PLEASE_!"

She put the fire in her palm out, Katara's hysterical sobs making Zuko's stomach twist. She was still effected by the chi-blocking, but it seemed her voice had been restored. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and take all her pain away; he knew the pain of a direct burn all too well.

"Ready to give over the throne?" Azula asked, a wicked smirk on her face with her eyebrows raised.

"Azula, we can work this out," Zuko tried to reason with her. "Just leave Katara out of this-"

"I'm sorry, brother, all I heard was 'burn her again'."

Zuko watched the fire come alive once more in Azula's hand.

"No!" he cried desperately, and she smiled before putting out again. "Ok…ok you win."

"Zuko!" Katara cried out for the first time, "Don't!"

"Shut up, peasant," Azula knocked her to the ground, and Zuko flinched as he watched Katara crash awkwardly to her knees.

"I have no choice, Katara," Zuko replied to her, his stance defeated as he watched her lift her head to look at him.

They locked eyes for a moment, and he watched the tears roll down Katara's cheeks. He moved his eyes to her upper arm, seeing the swollen skin that had turned bright red. He looked away, squeezing his eyes shut before looking back at Azula.

"Let her go," Zuko yelled to her firmly. "And the throne is yours."

"I knew you would see it my way, brother," Azula called with a wicked grin.

She motioned at one of the Dai Lee members standing behind Zuko, and he stepped forward with outstretched hands. With his fists clenched, he lifted his arms slowly to bring earth from the ground to connect the two podiums that Zuko and Azula were standing on. Azula grabbed Katara by the clothes once more, practically dragging her across the bridge until she was standing directly in front of Zuko. She shoved Katara so that she landed next to him, crying out in pain as she landed on her side.

"Here's your precious girlfriend," Azula snickered. "Now hand over the crown."

Zuko turned to look at Katara, whose eyes were wide with fear. He stared back at her, mentally apologizing for everything that had happened.

Zuko bowed his head, the metal crown landing with a loud tinkering to the ground.

"You win, Azula," he whispered.


End file.
